The firebird
by Desteny star
Summary: "I will marry whoever I find at the end of my arrow" Elsa said to get out of the prospect of marriage, words which she quickly regretted for at the end of her arrow was a Firebird. Talkative, snarky and annoying Elsa was sure he would drive her insane. But is Firebird all what he seems or is there more to him than meets the eye?
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors note: Welcome to the first chapter of the Firebird, which hopefully you will all enjoy.**_

 _ **This new story is based on The frog prince, the firebird ballet, The story of Master Frog and a couple of other stories. So well, enough of me blabbering lol please read, enjoy and review when done as I would like to know how you all like it so far or if you have any questions. :)**_

* * *

War. The word itself struck fear and dread into the hearts of men, and how could it not? It wreaked death and destruction, tore families apart, and brought anger, sorrow, and despair all throughout its reach. But unbeknownst to most people, war was not only limited to a show of physical strength or military might, but also the clash of words, wits, and ideals, and right now, one such war was occurring right inside the Arendelle Folkesthing.

"We do not approve."

"What! Why not?" Blue eyes blazed in outrage and frustration as Queen Elsa of Arendelle stared down at the noblemen gathered before her. Already, the temperature was beginning to drop due to the link between her emotions and her cryokinetic powers.

"You know very well that the union between the Princess Anna and Kristoff Bjorgman defies all protocols of royal tradition," spoke the lead councilman, "Not only is he an impoverished ice harvester and a commoner, but he is also an orphan with no inheritance to speak of; we cannot allow this marriage knowing well that he is unable to provide for your sister."

"So you'd rather have my sister marry a prince who would not love her over a commoner who does?" Elsa growled.

"With all due respect Your Majesty, we're only following what social protocol dictates," said the Duke of Weselton, a shrewd, oily man who served as one of Arendelle's vassal lords. "And speaking of marriage, it's high time you get married as well. It's not right that the younger sister should wed before the older; but luckily for you, I happen to know someone who is an excellent candidate to serve as your spouse."

"If it's your nephew, you can forget it," the queen spat. "I'm not interested."

But despite her frigid rejection, the duke was undaunted. "You could at the very least give him a chance. Not only is he the heir to the kingdom of Denmark, but he's also fabulously wealthy to boot."

"I'd sooner shoot an arrow at random and marry whoever finds it," she retorted.

"That can be arranged," said the lead councilman.

Elsa blinked, her anger giving way to bewilderment. "I beg your pardon?"

"You said that you'd much rather shoot an arrow at random and marry whoever finds it, so we'll do just that," the councilman clarified, "We have decided that you and your sister can use this method to choose your husbands."

Elsa could not believe her ears. Because of her youth and gender, the Folkesthing had never taken her seriously and often challenged her decisions, so for them to agree to her terms almost instantaneously was quite a surprising turn of events.

But even so, why did it feel like she got the short end of the stick?

* * *

Anna was ecstatic when Elsa broke the news. "That's a great idea!" she crowed, wrapping her sister in a hearty embrace.

"What do you mean?" the blonde asked, perplexed.

Anna's voice dropped down to a conspiratorial whisper. "Don't you see? It's perfect because all I have to do is tell Kristoff where to find the arrow and when he does, there's no way those old fogeys can object to our marriage then."

A small, hopeful smile graced Elsa's lips as she realized the implications of Anna's words. It was quite clever of her sister to discover this loophole, and if she played her cards right, she could use it to her full advantage as well. All she had to do was to make sure that not a single soul would ever find her arrow, and then she could be free of her obligation to wed.

Yes… If executed properly, this plan could just be crazy enough to work.

* * *

A week later, the royal sisters, the councilmen, and several other dignitaries gathered at the foot of North Mountain to proceed with the challenge. The rules were simple, each sister was to shoot a single arrow towards any direction, and whoever found the arrow would be deemed as her betrothed. To avoid cheating, each arrow shaft had been painted with a distinctive design – pink roses on a green background for Anna, and snowdrops on a field of blue for Elsa.

As she had practiced with Kristoff in the days prior to the challenge, Anna stepped forward, eager to go first. She nocked the arrow onto the bow and released it with confidence. It soared into the distance before disappearing over the horizon where she had instructed Kristoff to wait.

Once Anna was done, Elsa followed suit. ' _Please, please, let no man find this_ ,' she silently prayed. Aiming her arrow towards a heavily wooded area, she pulled the bowstring and let it fly.

* * *

Meanwhile, up in the skies above a bird with feathers of living flame soared, savoring the cool breeze as it darted over and under the clouds. In its eyes, to fly was to live free, unfettered, and no other emotion could come close to the joy it brought.

But even so, all living creatures, even one as dynamic as the Firebird, needed some repose, and as it flew over the pine forests of northern Scandinavia, it swooped down in search of an adequate rest stop. Dodging past the errant shrubs and branches, it finally found what it was looking for in the form of a tall and sturdy fir tree.

Spent from its journey, it made its perch on a branch high above the ground and closed its eyes for a quick nap. But just as it did so, it was startled awake by an arrow zipping towards it. Fortunately, it was able to evade the projectile in the nick of time, and as it hopped towards the arrow for closer inspection, it realized that it was no hunter's arrow based on its painted shaft.

Green eyes widened upon this discovery. ' _Could it be_ her?'

* * *

Blue eyes carefully scanned the surrounding area as Elsa made her way through the forest. Here, the trees grew tall and close together that the canopy of leaves seemed to block out the sun; not to mention that the shrubbery was so thick that some areas were nigh impassable. But even so, she pressed on with her search, and so far there had been no sign of her arrow or a single human soul.

She smiled inwardly, feeling hopeful for the first time in forever. ' _Maybe, I can pull through just yet_!'

"Hey! Is this yours?"

Elsa felt her blood run cold. Judging by the tone and pitch of the voice, whoever had spoken was an adult male, most probably somewhere around her age group. Had he found her arrow? If so, she could potentially be in big trouble. She had absolutely no desire to marry, much less to some stranger she had just met. ' _Maybe I can pay him off to pretend this never happened_ …' she said to herself as she quickly devised a fallback plan. ' _Yes... That might just work_!'

But as she looked around for the source of the voice, she found not a single soul, much to her confusion. ' _Maybe I'm so overworked I'm actually hearing things_.'

"Over here! Up in the fir tree," the voice called.

Craning her head towards the treetops, she was shocked to find a bird unlike any she had seen before. It was fairly large and looked like a cross between an eagle, peacock, and bird of paradise. Its plumage was a most vibrant blend of red and gold, almost as if it was on fire, and its eyes were a piercing green that seemed to stare into her soul. "I seriously do not appreciate waking up to an arrow trying to impale me," it spoke, pointing to the offending object jutting out from the fir tree's trunk.

Elsa gaped dumbly, unable to comprehend what she had just witnessed.

"Lady, I demand an apology for this," said the bird, still angry at having been disturbed.

"D-did you j-just talk?" she managed weakly. ' _Okay, it's confirmed– I, Elsa Margrethe Solberg, have officially lost my mind_.'

Seeing that he was getting nowhere, the bird sighed in exasperation. "Yes, I can talk."

"How?" Elsa demanded.

"Like everybody else, of course," he (Elsa was certain that the bird was male) said matter-of-factly. "You start with a mother, a father– all that basic stuff."

"But– But birds don't talk!" she sputtered.

He nodded in understanding. "Ahh… That's because I'm no ordinary bird. I take it that you've never seen a firebird before."

By this point, Elsa's eyes were almost as big as dinner plates. "A what?"

"A firebird– a phoenix," he clarified. "Same thing, different name."

"Oh…" Blue eyes looked at him apologetically. Despite her perceived frigidness, Elsa was a gentle soul who would never intentionally hurt anyone or anything. "Mr. Firebird, please trust me, when I say I wasn't aiming for you. It was a complete accident, and I truly apologize for that."

"Alright, I forgive you," said the Firebird. He ruffled his feathers and flapped his wings as he readied to depart. "Well, I'd best be off; I still have a long journey ahead of me."

"Wait!" she cried out.

"Yes?"

"Could you please retrieve my arrow?" she asked. "It's stuck so high up, and I can't climb."

The Firebird cocked his head at her strange request. "Why not just get another one?"

"Please help," she pleaded. "It's a very special arrow and I need it. If you retrieve it, I'll reward you handsomely."

"Very well," he said, "But I'll choose the reward."

"Sounds fair," Elsa told him. "What kind of reward do you have in mind?"

"Hmm… Now that I think about, it's been quite a while since I had a nice, decent meal," said the Firebird, "All I want is an invitation to dinner, provided you won't treat me like an animal."

"Yes, yes, of course!" the queen promised, "You'll be treated as a guest of honor."

He nodded approvingly. "Alright, it's a deal!" Grasping the arrow shaft with both his talons, he extracted it from where it was stuck and dropped it off at Elsa's feet.

No sooner than it hit the ground, she snatched the arrow up and ran as if the devil himself was behind her.

"Lady, wait! Stop!" she heard the Firebird call, but she paid him no heed and increased her velocity to shake him off. There was no way she was keeping that silly promise. If the Folkesthing ever caught wind that a bird had found her arrow, she would be forced to marry the creature in a heartbeat.

And in her eyes, that was the worst possible thing.

* * *

Despite his nervousness, Kristoff stood his ground as he faced the furious councilmen. They were greatly displeased with the fact that he had indeed found Anna's arrow, but in the end, there was nothing they could do. The terms and conditions had been set, and they had no choice but to uphold their end of the bargain.

Just then, the bushes rustled and Elsa came rushing out, looking particularly disheveled. "Everyone onto your mounts!" she commanded as she leapt onto her horse. "We're heading back now!"

Given that the queen was normally cool and composed, her harried behavior baffled her companions, but they followed her nonetheless.

Elsa tightened her grip on the reins as she urged her horse to gallop faster still. But even as she and her party drew further away from the forest, she had this nagging sensation that she was being watched. Though she could not see the bird, she could feel his eyes piercing through the trees, tracing her every move.

Nevertheless, a victory was a victory. As long as Elsa had the arrow, she was not obliged to marry, and she could continue to rule as a maiden queen. However, her hopes were dashed upon pulling the arrow out of her saddlebag. The arrowhead and shaft were quite identical, but upon closer inspection, it lacked one crucial detail – it did not have the painted snowdrops that marked the arrow as hers.

She could feel a chill forming in the pit of her stomach. Had the Firebird been smart enough to figure out that something was up and took that moment to switch the arrows?

' _Don't be silly_ ,' she mentally scoffed, ' _It's just a dumb bird. It's not as if it could understand what's going on, much less track me down_.' Shoving all thoughts of her earlier encounter to the back of her mind, she decided to focus her attention to more pressing matters, first and foremost, the dinner banquet to formally announce Anna's engagement to Kristoff.

But still, it did not hurt to shut the windows and draw the curtains closed.

* * *

' _An arrow? Why make such a fuss over such a silly thing_?'

The Firebird's green eyes narrowed in confusion as he studied Elsa's arrow. The young woman's skittish behavior had confounded him to no end, and even as they spoke, he had a hunch that she had no intention of keeping her promise. However, he had some tricks up his own sleeve, and with a little bit of magic, he conjured up a near-identical arrow which he then switched with the real one.

Clutching the arrow in his talons, he took to the skies, determined to find the truth. ' _Just what are you hiding_?'

Traversing over forests, fields, and farms, he quickly made his way towards Arendelle's capital city. Judging from the woman's appearance, she seemed to be quite highborn, a member of the aristocracy, and with that information, he deduced that she lived in the area. Stealthily, he made his way to the local tavern to listen in to its patrons' conversation, hoping to glean more information on that intriguing young lady and her mysterious arrow.

So far, the first few conversations had been of no particular interest, but just then someone brought up a topic that piqued the Firebird's attention. "Have you heard the news?" he said, "Princess Anna's going to marry an ice harvester."

"Really?" his companion asked, "How'd that happen? I thought princesses only married princes and kings."

"That's because he found her arrow," piped up a third patron. "Queen Elsa had issued a challenge where whoever finds the arrow she and the princess shoots will become their husband."

"That lucky sunuvabitch…" grumbled a younger man, slamming down his pint, "I wish I could've been that fortunate."

"Well, it's too late now…" said the man who had first spoken, "As Princess Anna has already been spoken for, only the queen remains single, and that's only because nobody found her arrow."

The Firebird's talons instinctively tightened around the arrow shaft. ' _You little minx… So_ that's _what's gotten you all wound up_ …' he murmured to himself as he took flight towards his next destination – Arendelle Castle.

* * *

Elsa winced as Gerda pushed the last hairpin into her coiffure, keeping her chignon in place. "There..." said the lady-in-waiting, pleased with her handiwork, "Picture perfect, Your Majesty."

"Thanks…" the blonde murmured, smiling wanly but appreciatively. Though the preparations for the engagement banquet had gone without a hitch, Elsa could not help but feel unnerved, no thanks to a certain Firebird. No matter how hard she tried to forget the encounter, she found herself staring back into those green eyes as they pierced into her very core.

Dismissing Gerda, she padded over to the windows to peer out at the snow-dusted landscape, hoping to calm her jittery nerves and scan the skies for any sign of the Firebird. So far, there had no sight of him, much to her relief. ' _Honestly Elsa, stop being so paranoid_!' she chided herself. ' _It's not like he knows who I am or where I live_.'

Comforted by that thought, she made her way to the dining hall to celebrate Anna and Kristoff's engagement. As she made her grand entrance, all those gathered were awestruck by her grace and beauty. She truly was the embodiment of elegance and poise.

Shortly after taking her seat at the head of the table, she raised her wineglass to propose a toast to congratulate the happy couple when the doors suddenly burst open as four palace guards rushed in, terrified out of their wits.

The Duke of Weselton was outraged by the men's sudden lack of discipline. "What is the meaning of this!?"

"It's coming!" one of the guards screamed.

"What is?" demanded the Duke, clearly not in the mood for this buffoonery "Speak up, man!"

"A b-bird!" sputtered another guard, his face ashen with fear. "A bird made out of fire!"

No sooner than he uttered those words, Elsa felt the blood drain from her face. ' _No… No… It couldn't be_ …'

"Queen Elsa!" called an all-too familiar voice that shook her to her very core, "It's me, the Firebird! I have come for you to fulfill your promise to me."

Confused by this sudden turn of events, Anna whirled to face her sister. "Firebird? Promise? Elsa, what's going on?" However, all her questions were met with silence as the queen was too stunned to respond.

Just then, the bird in question finally made his entrance and landed right in the center of the table. He was a large specimen which looked like a cross between an eagle, peacock, and bird of paradise. He had feathers of living flame and his eyes were of a striking viridian shade that no green forest could compare. There was no denying it, it was _him_.

He bowed low, at least as much as his avian anatomy allowed. "I apologize for being so late, but I always did enjoy making a grand entrance."

"What the–? Who are you?" asked one of the councilmen, perplexed by the bird's ability to speak in the human tongue.

"I'm sorry," the Firebird told him, "I thought Elsa would've told you all who I was by now."

"How dare you refer to the queen in such a manner?" rebuked the Duke. "You will address her as Your Majesty and never by her name."

The Firebird cocked his head. "Why would I do that when we are soon to be man and wife?"

His proclamation sent the entire court into a collective uproar. "WHAT?!" they cried out.

Anna gazed at her sister with increasing concern. "Yes Elsa, what is he talking about?"

But before the blonde could reply, the Firebird spoke up once more. "You see…" he began, "Earlier today, I found something which belonged to the queen." With a sweep of his wing, he procured a painted arrow with the telltale snowdrops decorating its shaft. Murmurs rose up from all those present as the queen had presented a similar arrow earlier that day.

"She told me that if I gave it back to her, she would invite me to a banquet and treat me as her honored guest, so imagine my surprise when I heard that whoever found the arrow would be her husband! So assuming this party is a celebration of our engagement, I decided to show myself and let everybody know who her future husband will be, especially since she could've gotten lost trying to find me in the woods. Isn't that right, my dearest Elsa?

"Right…" she replied weakly. He had her cornered. There was no escape now.

The head steward, Kai bowed and coughed nervously. "In that case, we apologize for whatever inconvenience you may have encountered on your trip."

The flaming avian raised a wing. "No need to apologize, it's not your fault," he said reassuringly. "Although… I'll admit that I am rather parched and famished after such a long journey."

"Oh yes, of course!" Kai replied, nodding. "Please take a seat and make yourself comfortable. We hope the banquet will be to your liking."

"Do you mean I can sit wherever I want?" the Firebird inquired.

Elsa sucked in her breath at that. ' _Oh no… He wouldn't_ …'

"Yes!" Kai affirmed.

Beneath her composed façade, the queen was practically hyperventilating. ' _Conceal, don't feel_ …'

"Then seeing that I will be marrying the queen, shouldn't I be sitting next to her as her future spouse?" the Firebird pressed on.

Everyone turned to Elsa, gazing at her expectantly. She merely nodded and smiled, albeit weakly. ' _Put on a show_ …' But inwardly, she was seething. He was playing this charade to torture her, that much she knew!

"Of course," said the steward, ushering him to the head of the table. "It would be very rude of us if we denied you the right to sit next to your lovely bride."

"I beg your pardon!?" Elsa yelped, leaping from her seat.

All eyes were trained on her, shocked by the sudden outburst from the normally reserved queen.

"Sorry… I, uhh…" She fidgeted nervously. ' _Make one wrong move and everyone will know_ …' "I need to have a word with the Firebird." Hurriedly, she stepped out of the room with the Firebird trailing after her.

Once she was sure they were out of sight and far from prying ears, Elsa grabbed the Firebird by neck. "Hey! Careful!" he squawked, but she was far too angry to pay him any heed. She hauled him into her study and threw him in before entering the room herself. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, trembling with unbridled fury.

"I already told you," he said, unfazed by her hostility, "I'm merely here so you can keep your promise to me."

"Well, I refuse!"

"But you must. A promise is a promise."

"I will not marry you!" she snapped. "I refuse to marry someone I just met, and I definitely will not marry a bird."

Unblinking green eyes pinned their gaze at her. "You have no choice, Elsa. You made a promise, so now you must uphold your end of the bargain."

The blonde tilted her chin in defiance. "Never…" she hissed.

"It has already been predetermined," the Firebird went on. "You and I... …we are bound by fate. We were fated to meet, fated to love, and fated to wed."

Azure eyes shone with frozen fire. "Then I shall fight fate."

"Come on, I'm not that bad," he cajoled, "There are some benefits that come with marrying me– my undying loyalty. I would never try to usurp your reign and I can help you rule. And I would never cheat on you nor abandon you when you grow old."

Elsa glared at him, but otherwise said nothing. Because of her hasty promise, she was caught between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, she could reject the Firebird's suit, but with his revelation, she could be outed as a liar, and therefore untrustworthy. And then there was the option of marrying him and becoming a laughing stock among her people, or worse, to those from other countries. Either way, she was going to lose.

"Fine… I accept your suit…" she muttered, submitting to his terms. ' _A fine pickle you got yourself into, Elsa_ ,' she lamented. ' _Something like this would've been more likely to happen to Anna, not me_.'

"What was that?" the Firebird asked. He had heard her clearly; but at the same time, he wanted to teach her a lesson in humility, and what better way to do that than to make her swallow her pride?

"I said yes, I accept. I will keep my word and marry you!" she replied, grimacing as the words left her mouth.

His beak quirked up into the avian equivalent of a grin. "Glad to hear it; and don't worry, you won't regret marrying me. That is a promise _I_ intend to keep.

"So…" he continued, "Shall we return to the banquet to celebrate our engagement with your sister and her beau?"

"No!" Elsa snapped. Turning on her heel, she left the study and slammed the door.

* * *

Her appetite lost, she strode down the hall towards her room, only to find that the Firebird had followed her, much to her dismay. "Haven't you done enough?" she demanded, "What do you want now?"

"As I'm going to be your husband, it's only fair that you and I will share a room," he told her. He landed on her bed, relishing in the softness of the mattress as he observed his surroundings with an appreciative eye.

"I highly doubt that," Elsa spat.

"Then where will I sleep?" he asked.

"Not in my bed, that's for sure," she muttered.

He looked at her in mock disapproval. "That's no way to treat your future husband," he said, scolding her as if she was but a wayward child.

There was a light gust as snowflakes swirled around her. "I can't stand you nor do I want you here, so count your lucky stars that I haven't turned you into an ice statue just yet."

The Firebird scoffed. "Dear Elsa, I would advise you not to play with fire. Then again, I doubt your ice magic would be able to harm me anyway. But since it's improper for a man and a woman to share a bed until they are wed, I'll let you be." With a flap of his wings, he glided over to the bay window. "You can take the bed, I'll sleep here."

"Fine by me," spat the queen.

"Now if you would kindly hand me a blanket and a pillow." He expertly dodged the requested items which had been thrown with every intention of hitting him. "Close, but not quite," he said patronizingly. "Thank you, my darling Elsa." Smirking, he took both items and arranged them into a nest of sorts before settling down to sleep.

Burning with anger and shame, Elsa grabbed another one of her pillows and screamed into it, inadvertently freezing it with her magic. She dropped it back on the bed, disgusted with her lack of control, with what she had become, but most especially, with a certain Firebird who deserved to die a slow and painful death.

 ** _To be continued..._**

 ** _Beta and cover image: Nightrain and Brownstone_**

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Well its a start. lol... Will Elsa and the Firebird get along soon? Maybe fall in love...who is the firebird any way...*Cough* Hans *Cough* *Cough*.**_

 _ **Any way, many thanks to my beta for betaing the chapter, also for the wonderful cover image made for the story.**_

 _ **Please hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review and stay tuned for the next one.**_

 _ **Fun Fact: The firebird/Phoenix looks like Fawkes the Phoenix only bigger in size and with green eyes.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot.**_

 _ **Anyway...the last time we left off Elsa and the firebird had aaaaa...very interesting meeting...will it get better? Only time will tell so**_ _ **please read on, enjoy and review when done as I would like to know how you all like it so far or if you have any questions. :)**_

* * *

The sun had just begun to peek out over the horizon when the Firebird woke the next day. Rising up from his makeshift nest, he yawned as he stretched and beat his wings, wiping out every trace of his previous drowsiness. He considered sunrise to be his favorite time of the day, and he never failed to wake before first light. There was just something poetic about watching the sun make its daily ascent as it bathed the world in warmth and light.

 _Ggghhrrrk_!

Startled, he turned towards the direction of the noise to see Elsa sleeping in a manner most comical. Gone was the living embodiment of poise and elegance, and in her place was a disheveled young maiden. Her hair was loose and stuck up all over the place; her mouth hung open as she drooled onto her pillow; and she was snoring quite loudly, loud enough to wake the dead. She lay curled up on her side, her arms wrapped around another pillow – and if the Firebird had not known better, he could have sworn she was cuddling it as if it were a lover.

He chuckled lightly. ' _For our sake, I hope that isn't the case or I'll be very jealous_.' But either way, he could not help but be drawn to her. Be it a regal queen in all her splendor or a young demoiselle barely in the cusps of womanhood, there was just a certain allure to Elsa.

Just then, there a knock on the door. "Your Majesty!" Gerda called from the other side, "It's time to wake up."

"She'll be up in a minute!" the Firebird replied. "In the meantime, could you kindly bring two breakfast trays – one with the queen's usual breakfast and one with eggs on toast, a slice of bacon, and a bowl of oatmeal topped with berries and sugar?"

"Yes, right a–" she said, "Uh, wait… …who is this?"

"I take it you haven't heard, then. I'm the Firebird, Queen Elsa's betrothed."

"Alright, enough with the jokes," said the attendant, barging into room. "I don't know what barn you were raised in, but I want you out! This is not a bordello for you to be bedding– _Jesus Christ in heaven_!" Her jaw dropped open as she stared dumbly at the proverbial elephant – or in this case, firebird – in the room.

"Good morning!" he greeted cheerily.

She bowed meekly. "Oh yes, good morning my bird– er, my lord– Er, what shall I call you?"

"Firebird will do," he said, his tone benevolent. "And how about you? May I inquire your name?"

"I'm Gerda," she told him. "Queen Elsa's lady-in-waiting."

He nodded in acknowledgement. "Nice to meet you, Gerda."

"Y-yes, likewise!" she stammered, bowing again. "I'll inform the cooks of your request, and bring it shortly."

"Alright, take your time," he said. He sighed, listening to Gerda's frantic footsteps as she made her exit. Still, he could not blame her for being nervous. Being a bird of living fire, he did have a rather intimidating appearance; compounded only by the guards telling everyone about their rough encounter with him.

' _It's funny how life turns out sometimes_ ,' he mused. ' _Especially considering what life was like back then_ …'

* * *

 ** _The Southern Isles – Nineteen years ago_ :**

 _Large families were said to be a blessing from heaven. Not only was it an indication of fertility and prosperity, but it also ensured the survival of the bloodline in the years to come._

 _One such family was the Royal House of Westergaard. With thirteen sons born to the king and queen, there was no shortage of male heirs; so much so that by the time the youngest – Hans – was born, he was regarded more like a runt, a throwaway spare rather than a blood-born prince._

 _The poor boy was often neglected by his parents and constantly bullied by eleven of his twelve older brothers. The only family member to ever treat him with any semblance of kindness was the third son, Lars; but even he could do nothing to stop the abuse, as he was too afraid to stand up to his parents and brothers._

 _"Ow! Stop it!" five-year-old Hans cried as he struggled to break free of Runo's headlock amidst the jeers and taunts of their other brothers. Runo, the ninth son, had always liked to play rough, and as usual, his favorite target was his youngest brother, much to Hans' displeasure._

 _"Then say it, and I'll stop," Runo cackled as he increased the pressure of his grip, earning a pained whimper from the littlest prince._

 _"Just do as he says, Hans," Lars put in rather resignedly. "The sooner you do it, the sooner he'll stop."_

 _By now, Hans was finding it quite difficult to breathe, and the pain was just too much to bear. "Uncle, uncle!" he yelped._

 _Runo laughed maniacally as he finally released his brother. In the process, Hans managed to lose his balance and he fell onto his backside, much to the amusement of his eleven older brothers. But as much as their jeering hurt, it did not hurt as much as watching Lars simply stand by and do nothing._

 _"Why are you always so mean to me?" he demanded, trying his hardest to hold back his tears. He did not want to give his brothers any more reasons to bully him. "What did I ever do to you all?"_

 _Erik, the second-born, sneered at him. "It's simple, really… It's because you were born."_

 _"That's enough!" Caleb, the eldest, scolded. "You're right…" he said, turning to Hans, "We have been pretty mean to you… But what if I told you that we can change our tune? Provided that you do us a little favor, of course."_

 _"Wh-what kind of favor?" Hans asked warily, not liking the malicious twinkle in Caleb's eye._

 _"Well, in the garden of the house next door there's a pear tree laden with the sweetest of fruits, or so they say," Caleb told him. "If you get some pears for us, we'll be nice to you from here on out."_

 _It was here that Hans found himself at an impasse. He had no desire to enter the property next door. There was just something eerie about the place – what with the foreboding, ramshackle hut which sat in stark contrast to the lush and fertile garden that would have rivaled the biblical Eden. Even the garden itself seemed rather otherworldly as it maintained its greenery all throughout the year._

 _Yes, the fruits that grew inside did indeed look appetizing; but to get one of the fruits, the harvester had to be either incredibly brave or exceptionally stupid. Rumor had it that the entire property was owned by a powerful witch. Said witch was said to be a cannibal who feasted on the flesh of young children, and it was rumored that she also had the power to turn people into statues or worse._

 _But as frightened as he was, the idea of finally being accepted and maybe even respected by his brothers was too great of an opportunity to pass up, and in the end, he found himself agreeing._

 _Carefully, Hans made his way into the garden next door. Despite the sheer beauty of the place, he did not want to linger a minute more. Fortunately, the owner seemed to be away so he was in no danger of being caught. Walking over to the tree Caleb singled out, he gazed up to find it laden with big, golden pears._

 _He nervously shifted from foot to foot. Part of him was urging him to turn back and get out while he still could, but he could not back out now. He had gotten this far, and he dreaded to think what his brothers would do if he came home empty-handed._

 _Throwing all caution to the wind, he climbed up the tree and plucked thirteen pears from its boughs. Having completed the task, he then ran back to his brothers, hoping to finally accepted among the fold and change their relationship for the better. But little did the boy prince know that his life was going to change in more ways than one…_

* * *

It did not take very long for Gerda to return with the requested meals. She set them on the table by the bay window before leaving to do her other chores.

The Firebird peeked over his shoulder to find Elsa still lying fast asleep. Having decided that she had had more than enough bedrest, he flew over to her and nipped her on the nose.

Startled, the young queen jolted awake, only to wind up entangled in her sheets. In the process, she fell off the bed with a yelp and landed onto the floor in an undignified heap. Sore in more ways than one, she glared up to see the Firebird smirking down at her.

"You know, I was expecting to see a beautiful queen when I woke," he quipped as he hovered over her, "But I suppose you'll do." But behind this cheeky gibe, he truly was concerned for Elsa's psyche. Even though they had just met, he could see that the pressure of the crown combined with years of being groomed as the heir had taken quite a toll on her self-confidence. She was so focused on achieving complete perfection and control to the point that it had become unhealthy. Upon seeing this, he had taken it upon himself to remind her that there were nothing wrong with having flaws and imperfections. After all, it was what made people human.

Bristling with anger, Elsa threw a pillow at him, which he expertly dodged. "Take it easy, Your Majesty," said the Firebird as he glided over to the table. "I was merely trying to wake you up."

"By scaring me half to death?" Elsa half-growled, half-shrieked as she picked herself up from the floor.

The Firebird shrugged. "Well, if the end justifies the means, why not?" He clicked his tongue at her sour expression. "Oh, don't look at me like that– anger doesn't suit you. Here–" He gestured to the two covered trays on the table. "Perhaps some breakfast might perk you up."

Casting him her iciest glare, Elsa took her food and carried it to her bed, determined to keep her distance from her unwanted fiancé.

"Your actions wound my feelings," said the Firebird, his tone laced with mock hurt.

"Be glad that's all that's wounded," Elsa snapped as she angrily bit into her toast.

His sharp gaze bore into her, studying her. "Something tells me you don't like me that much."

Her glare intensified. "If I didn't like you yesterday, what makes you think I like you now?"

"I will admit that I am a bit of an acquired taste." He chuckled lowly. "Then again, I suppose it is possible to hate me so much that it would be impossible for you to hate me any further."

"What nonsense are you spouting off now?"

"It's quite simple really," the Firebird explained with that irritating, self-satisfied smirk, "If you can't hate me any further, then all that is left is for you to like me."

Elsa nearly dropped her spoon at that. She had to admit there was some wisdom behind his words; but he was so smug and so self-satisfied in his approach that she felt like strangling him out of sheer annoyance.

"Even so, how can you say you like or dislike me when you don't even know the first thing about me?" he continued. "We have been together for a day or so, yet we know so little about each other."

"That's because I don't want to get to know you," Elsa hissed.

"Oh but in due time you will…" the Firebird said in a husky tone that sent shivers down her spine. "Now let's eat, I'm famished!" No sooner than he said that, he proceeded to tuck into his meal quite messily, much to Elsa's chagrin.

Elsa averted her gaze, her stomach churning in disgust at his lack of table manners. She could feel her face heat up with ire. Was this churlish creature really going to be her husband? Was this scene before her going to be the norm for every future meal together? It was not fair. Anna's betrothed might be a commoner, but at least he was human and he knew how to act in the presence of royalty. The more she thought about her predicament, the angrier she grew.

"This is delicious!" the Firebird exclaimed between mouthfuls, spraying crumbs as he spoke. "Your cooks are very talented."

Elsa felt something within her snap. The Folkesthing, the betrothal, and now, the Firebird – she just couldn't take it anymore.

"Get out..." she hissed lowly, trembling with barely contain rage. Her spoon was beginning to bend, given how tightly she was gripping it.

"Pardon?" the Firebird asked, looking up at her.

"I said get out of my sight!" she screeched. Suddenly, the Firebird found himself buffeted by a swirling gust of arctic wind and subsequently blown out the window.

"Alright, I'll see you later then!" he called as he flew away. But looking back at his actions, perhaps he had pushed her a bit too far. Elsa _had_ been going through a lot of stress after all, so maybe the gadfly act probably wasn't the best method to get her to lighten up and endear him to her. His eyes blazed with determination. It was time to use a different approach.

* * *

"Stupid Firebird," Elsa muttered, locking her window shut. "He probably belongs to some witch."

Seething, she sat at her dressing table and began to work on her hair, brushing it with increasing vehemence. It was the second time in a row that she had lost her appetite, but she was too livid to care. Life just seemed to be throwing her into one stumbling block after another. She wished she had never issued that stupid challenge at all. Of all the things that could have found her arrow, it had to be a troublesome, sarcastic, ill-mannered firebird.

' _What did I do to deserve this_ …?' she moaned as she grasped her platinum strands in frustration. ' _No_!' she scolded herself, ' _You're the queen, you're always in control. He's just doing this to get under your skin, if you crack now, you'll be playing his game_!'

"You can do this, Elsa!" she said, staring at her reflection resolutely. "You can still make today a perfect day, and nothing, not even that horrible Firebird can ruin it!" After she had groomed and dressed, she left for her office, pumped by this motivation.

* * *

By midday, Elsa felt like throttling someone. Her entire morning had been an absolute terror – The Folkesthing had become more aggressive in questioning her decisions and policies; reports of corrupt magistrates have been increasing, and now, the church was breathing down her back because of the nature of her husband-to-be.

Her foul mood from earlier that morning came back full-force and her nerves were frazzled to the point that she would have snapped at the very first person who did or said something wrong.

Just as she was on her way to lunch, she heard the sound of hysterical laughter coming from down the hall. Based on the pitch and tone, one of the voices was Anna's and the other was that of a young adult male – Kristoff, perhaps.

' _Well, at least one of us is having a good day_.' The laughter grew louder as she approached the parlor. Seeing that the door was slightly ajar, she poked her head in, intent on inviting Anna and Kristoff for lunch. Perhaps some company could cheer her up.

But much to her shock, it was not Kristoff who was Anna's companion, but rather, the Firebird. And by the look of things, they seemed to be hitting it off quite well.

The Firebird swept his wings elegantly as he and Anna moved to the steps of some court dance. Said dance, however, was not one typical of Scandinavia or of the time period, for that matter. Based on the steps, Elsa surmised that they were dancing a Baroque court dance called the sarabande.

Elsa frowned. As nice as it was to see Anna take her etiquette lessons seriously, having her dance something so outdated just did not sit well with her. She wanted to promote Arendelle as a modern, cosmopolitan nation rivaling the likes of Aquitaine and Britain, not some rustic, backwoods society two centuries behind.

"You really are a good dancer, for a bird," Anna remarked as they concluded the dance.

The Firebird puffed up his chest. "Well I _am_ a being of many talents," he joked. "Okay, okay… Now you have to tell me that story again."

"No way!" Anna laughed, flopping down on the couch. "If Elsa finds out, she'll kill you, then kill me for telling you."

"Hey, we made a deal!" the Firebird exclaimed in mock outrage. I give you dance lessons and you tell me more of your sister."

Anna giggled. "Oh alright… But only because I want to get better," she said, relenting. "So this is what happened… When Elsa and I were kids, Mama and Papa took us on a picnic, and while Elsa was busy reading, I may or may not have snuck a big, hairy caterpillar down her back. You should have seen her, she went absolutely berserk."

"I can imagine," laughed the Firebird. "You should have seen her this morning, she was sleeping like this–" He hung his head back and opened his mouth just as how Elsa did earlier that day.

Anna snorted before bursting into yet another fit of giggles. "And I though I was the only one who slept like that! Now if only she snored."

"Actually she does," the Firebird snickered. "She sounds like a broken-down engine."

"Ahahahahaha!" By now, the princess' face was crimson with laughter. "You don't say?" she chortled, "I thought I was the only one who did."

He chuckled. "Then you two truly are sisters."

Elsa's frown deepened. Normally, she could take a joke in stride, but ever since the whole marriage incident, her patience was being stretched thin. She was about to stomp over to them and give them a piece of her mind, when she heard the Firebird say something that surprised her greatly.

"You're really lucky to have such a loving sister like Elsa," he said ever so wistfully, making the blonde in question stop in her tracks.

Anna beamed. "That's a very sweet thing to say, but Elsa and I are nothing out of the ordinary. I mean, all siblings are loving."

He averted his gaze, finding himself unable to look at her in the eye. After almost twenty years, the wound in his heart had not yet healed. "I hate to disagree, but I disagree…"

"Why?"

"Well, I had a brother once– twelve brothers actually," he told her.

"Really?" Anna gasped, amazed. " _Twelve_ brothers?"

Upon hearing that, Elsa shuddered as she imagined the Firebird's brothers flying in for a visit. ' _Oh, perish the thought_!' She could barely tolerate _one_ firebird, much less _thirteen_ of them all together. And something in the Firebird's tone hinted that his brothers were a whole lot worse than he was.

"Yes, but given how they treated me, 'brother' might be a misnomer, " he said quietly. "They were awful, cruel bullies. Either way, it doesn't matter– I haven't seen them in ages, and I don't even know if they're alive or dead."

"But what if they wanted to reconcile, to make up for what they've done, would you ever give them a second chance?" Anna asked.

"Honestly speaking, I would say no," the Firebird replied. "I would gladly live the rest of my life never seeing them again."

Anna curled her lip. "That's a bit too harsh, don't you think?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, but that's the sad truth. If you knew what they put me through, you'd be singing a different tune.

"Anyway, why are we talking about such things?" he said, "There are a lot more pleasant topics to discuss, like Kristoff, for example."

Anna's eyes lit up at the mention of her fiancé, and soon began to regale the Firebird with tales of her time together with Kristoff.

As Elsa listened to them chat like life-long friends, she felt her mood lighten up. As long as her baby sister was happy, she was happy. It was nice to know that Anna had made a friend, and from what she could see, the Firebird liked her too. But at the same time, it would be difficult for her to get rid of him if he managed to endear himself to Anna.

' _There has to be a way,_ ' she thought as she turned away from the princess and the firebird. ' _I will not marry a bird_!'

* * *

It was late when Elsa decided to turn in for the night, not that she wanted to; but given that she had not seen the Firebird since his chat with Anna, working late into the night was probably the only way to avoid him. She entered her room, hoping he would be fast asleep by then, but much to her dismay, he was still awake and it seemed that he had been waiting for her.

"I take it that your disposition has improved," he remarked.

"Yet seeing you sours it once more," she retorted.

"As acerbic as ever, I see," the Firebird observed. "You should really learn to take a page or two from your sister."

"Yes, yes… I saw you talking to her," Elsa replied dismissively. She was irritable, tired, and in absolutely no mood to deal with the Firebird and his dry wit. She just wanted to call it a day and pray that the Firebird was nothing more than a bad fever dream.

"Anna's a lovely girl," he went on. "Friendly, cheerful, a bit of a chatterbox, but hey– nobody's perfect."

Elsa sneered. "If you like her so much, why don't you go stay by her side then? The two of you seem to get along swimmingly well."

He smirked. "Well, well! Is that a hint of jealousy I hear?"

Elsa scoffed. "Ha! As if I'd be jealous of such a thing! Were that to happen, it would be a godsend for _both_ her _and_ me."

"So it seems," said the Firebird. "But as it stands, _you_ are my fiancée, not her. Speaking of which, I have yet to procure my betrothal gift to you." From his nest, he fished out a tiny, little box and presented it to her.

Upon seeing it, a heavy lump formed in Elsa's throat. There could only be one thing inside that box, and as much as she wanted to reject it, she knew she could not. With trembling fingers, she took the box and opened it, staring blankly at the ring that lay inside.

Made of white gold filigree and set with tiny diamonds, two on each side; its craftsmanship was exquisite – that, Elsa would not deny. And at its center was a large blue stone that twinkled ever so brilliantly.

"It's a blue diamond," the Firebird explained, "It was given to me as a thank-you gift by Austrian royal family."

Elsa blinked, surprised. "How do you even know the Austrian royal family? They were deposed years ago!"

"I wouldn't want to burden you with such a long, tedious tale," he told her, "But to sum it short, let's just say it involved a pair of cursed red dancing shoes." He hopped onto the table, leaning close to her. "But enough about that– Do you like my little gift?"

Elsa wanted to say no, but she knew she would be lying if she did. The ring truly was a work of art, and the more she looked at it, the more she wanted to wear it herself.

She mentally shook her head. ' _No! How shallow can you be to be so easily swayed by cheap trinkets_?'

' _But think about it_ ,' said her more devious side, ' _With a ring your hand, would definitely put a stop on all these unwanted marriage proposals. And for the record, it is quite pretty_.'

With that thought, she decided to take the ring and put it on. It was a perfect fit, and much to her amazement, it suited her quite well. ' _Did he get some input from Anna_?' she wondered as she gazed at it admiringly.

A rich chuckle brought her out of her reverie. She turned to see the Firebird smirking at her victoriously. "I'll take that as a yes."

The queen blushed, embarrassed at having been caught so easily. "That may be so, but this changes nothing."

His smirk grew wide still. "Oh I wouldn't too sure about that…" He locked eyes with her, the resolve in those green depths piercing through her very being. "Remember my dear, the war is still far from over."

 ** _To be continued..._**

 ** _Beta and cover image: Nightrain and Brownstone_**

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Seems Elsa met her match. He is going to drive her insane lol**_

 _ **Now if only she knew how close to the truth she got when she said "He probably belongs to some witch".**_

 _ **Any way please hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review and stay tuned for the next one for things are about to get very interesting for Elsa now that she has the Firebird around.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot.**_

 _ **For all those wondering, yes Anna was angry with the Firebird, but there is a reason why she is so friendly towards him in the last chapter rather than being hostile and such, I cannot say what for it would be a huge spoiler.**_

 _ **Anyway...the last time we left off Elsa and Firebirds interactions had gotten worse. Sure she accepted the ring, but it was because she wanted to use it to keep other prince's away. Will Firebird be able to crack her icy exterior and win her over? Only time will tell so**_ _ **please read on, enjoy and review when done as I would like to know how you all like it so far or if you have any questions. :)**_

* * *

All her life, Elsa had been taught to be tolerant and forbearing, even in the face of adversity. "After all," her tutors used to say, "It's one of the virtues that every proper Victorian lady must have." But ever since the Firebird entered the picture, she could feel her patience being pushed to its limits.

Clingy, sardonic, and self-satisfied – these were all character traits that Elsa loathed, and the Firebird embodied them all. He would constantly remind her of their betrothal and impending union, and he was a total busybody. True, he was kind enough to drop some advice every now and then, but his delivery was so smug and so sarcastic that it rankled her to no end. Because of this, there were times she had found herself tempted to grab him by the neck and strangle the living daylights out of him.

Like right now...

Laughter could be heard coming from the council room; it was not light snickers nor casual chuckles, but loud, booming guffaws that echoed through the castle halls.

Curious, but at the same time worried, Elsa hurried inside to find the British ambassador, Lord Raffles, and his aides laughing at something the Firebird said. ' _That presumptuous beast!_ ' she growled, glowering at the creature perched at the head of the table where she usually sat. It was bad enough that she was going to marry him, now he was doing her job? ' _Just what is he up to_?'

Just then, Lord Raffles noticed her presence. "Oh, Your Majesty, there you are!" he exclaimed, strolling over to shake her hand. "It's been an absolute pleasure doing business with you and your fiancé. I have yet to meet a conversationalist as excellent he."

"I-I'm sorry, I don't quite follow," she stammered, baffled by his jollity. "Just what is going on? If I recall, there was a deadlock in the trade negotiations."

"Oh that!" Raffles replied, "Your fiancé managed to sweeten the deal. We were able to talk it through and an agreement has already been signed. I look forward working with you all." He shook her hand once more before leaving with his aides.

Once she was sure they were alone, Elsa whirled onto the Firebird, her eyes blazing with fury. "Alright, what did you do?"

"Me?" he drawled, "I haven't done anything." He took a sip of merlot and cringed. "Ugh… This is awful!"

Elsa slammed her palms on the table. "Look… I don't have time for your vapid mind games," she hissed. "Tell me, straight and simple– What. Did. You. Do?"

The Firebird snorted. "Honestly, you're no fun… Well, It goes like this… I just happened to notice that you were having some trouble with some trade contracts, so I, as your beloved, decided to lend a hand. Luckily, I happen to know Queen Victoria, and I was able to use that connection to get them to sign the agreement and secure the deal."

"You didn't ask them for less, did you?" Elsa demanded. Being a person who liked control, the very idea that someone else had done her job without her explicit instructions just did not sit well with her. In fact, it was more than enough to make her neurotic.

"No," he replied, pushing a sheaf of papers towards her. "They actually agreed to your deal. They even threw in some additional goods after I explained to them the benefits of buying in bulk."

Taking the papers, Elsa could not help but smile as she studied the trade contract. The Firebird really had definitely outdone himself. In exchange for timber, fur, fish, and ice, Arendelle would be receiving cotton and wool textiles as well as coal, steel, and luxury products from the British colonies. It was even better than what she originally had in mind.

"Thank you…" she said, setting the contract down. "This really is wonderful news. But next time, please let me handle my responsibilities or at the very least consult me before holding any meetings on your own."

He leaned closer, carefully studying her. "Do you always have to be in control?"

She tilted her chin defiantly. "But of course! I'm a queen, thus it is my obligation."

"I see…" the Firebird mumbled. He shook his head. "That can't be healthy."

Elsa raised a brow and crossed her arms. "Really now? How so?"

"Control is merely an illusion, you can't control everything," the Firebird explained. He flew over to the window and pointed at the sky. "See the sun? I can't make it rise or set whenever I please nor can I block it out with clouds and make it rain."

"I'd beg to differ," Elsa rebutted. "There are things we _can_ control such as when and where to travel if it rains, and umbrellas can keep us dry; therefore control is _not_ an illusion."

The Firebird chuckled. "Yes, but whether you want a sunny day or not, the weather is not ours to command. If it rains, it rains, and we cannot snap our fingers to make the sun shine just because we wished it so."

Elsa stared at him for a moment, mulling his words, and before she could stop herself, a tiny bubble of laughter escaped from her lips.

"What's so funny?" the Firebird asked, not that he was complaining. He found that he actually quite liked it when she laughed.

"You know," Elsa said between giggles. "For someone who's foolish enough to test my patience on a daily basis, how can you be so wise?"

"That's because there's a method to my madness, dear Elsa," he said, winking at her mischievously. "Everything that I have done so far was aimed to help _you_."

"Oh yes…" she huffed. "Making me angry has been quite helpful."

"Elsa, there's a big difference between the queen and the person," said the Firebird, his voice laced with concern. "It can be prove to be quite the problem if you can't separate the two. If you keep this up, life will just pass you by until you'll be left with nothing but regret."

"How would you even know?" she snapped. "You don't know me, and I've told you nothing."

"You don't have to," he told her. "I merely watch and observe you. By now I know enough to read you like an open book. You have a noble heart, but I think you should also focus on what makes _you_ happy. Your sister misses you– Elsa the person, not Elsa the queen. You have no idea how my heart bled for her when she told me that. To have such a loving sibling is truly a blessing from heaven."

"If Anna truly does feel that way, then why does she spend more time with Kristoff than she does with me?"

"That's because she's afraid of the queen," the Firebird replied. "Tell me, when was the last time you two actually spent time together without worrying about court etiquette or royal protocols? When were you just two sisters out having plain, wholesome fun?"

Elsa opened her mouth to retort, only to snap it shut when she found herself unable to do so. Now that she thought about it, she could hardly recall a time when it was just her and Anna. Yes, they did attend the balls, galas, and other royal functions together, but their interactions had been rather stiff and stilted, as if they were strangers, not sisters.

"Elsa, please…" he whispered, "Just let me take care of your duties for one day– one day, so you and Anna can have some real quality time together. I promise that I won't fail you, and I promise you won't regret it."

Now Elsa was torn. The queen in her wanted to refuse, but the more she mulled it over, the more she wanted to take the Firebird up on his offer. It _had_ been a while since she and Anna had some quality time together, and it would be nice to have a sisters' day out.

After a bit of deliberation, she gave in to his suggestion. "Very well," she said, "But if I find even anything that remotely displeases me, I'll turn you into an icicle."

"There's no need for threats for I intend to stay true to my word," he chided. "Now, if I may be so bold as to make a suggestion, I would recommend that you take Anna out for short excursion– ice skating, making a snowman, all of which to be followed by a picnic in the woods."

A shadow of a smile flitted over the queen's elfin features. "Did you plan all of this with my sister?"

"Doubt it," said the Firebird. "I'm just doling out some helpful advice, as any other friendly neighborhood firebird should." He smirked, but this time, it was a lot less smug. "See? I'm not that bad now, am I?"

"I suppose," Elsa mumbled, averting her gaze.

He glanced at her, still smirking as if he knew something she didn't. "Huh… If I didn't know better, I could have sworn you actually agreed with me. I guess this counts as a battle won."

"That may be so," Elsa scoffed, steeling her features into a frigid mask. "But the war's not over yet. Next time, you won't be so lucky."

"And that's a challenge I'm willing to undertake," said the Firebird. "But just so you know, in a game of wits and wills, I have yet to lose."

* * *

Anna had always been a cheerful young thing, but today, she was practically brimming with elation as she went about her duties with an ear-to-ear grin threatening to split her face in half. It has been quite the surprise when Elsa approached her and invited her for a day off together, and Anna, being Anna, was more than happy to accept. In her eyes, this was going to be the best day ever – other than the day she first met Kristoff.

Nearby, the Firebird smiled benevolently as he observed Anna's antics. He was happy for her, he really was; but at the same time, he could not help but feel a twinge of sadness as he was reminded of the tenuous relationship he shared with his brothers.

* * *

 _It had been a simple task – All he had to do was steal some pears and his brothers would accept him into their fold. But somewhere along the road, things got complicated. Bothered by his conscience, Hans mustered up his courage and marched over to the house next door to apologize. His brothers, the brutes that they were, had laughed and called him a weakling and a fool, but he no longer cared. His actions haunted him and the guilt ate at his conscience. He had to do it. He had to make things right._

 _An audible gulp could be heard as he stood before the front door. He wanted nothing more than to turn and flee, but his guilt outweighed his fear. Taking in a deep breath, he lifted the iron knocker and rapped it on the door a few times. The next thing he knew, everything went black._

* * *

 _When Hans regained his bearings, the first thing he noticed was how high up the ceiling was. He knew he was rather small for his age, but even so, it was rather odd that everything look much bigger than it did. To make things worse, his head was throbbing and the room seemed to spin from beneath him. He held up a hand to steady himself, only to see a down-covered wing._

 _Panic immediately flooded over him. He patted himself over to discover that he was naked and covered with the same downy material. Bending down to look at his feet, he was horrified to see a pair of bird talons sticking out in its place. Overcome with terror, Hans screamed, which in his new form, came out as a high-pitched screech._

 _"My, my… What a voice for such a tiny hatchling." He whipped around to see a woman, the owner of the house, enter the room as she mixed a bowlful of mush. With wavy blond hair, bright blue eyes, and fair skin, she was indeed a sight to behold, and not even the rough-spun peasant wear could detract from her beauty. But despite her humble appearance, something about her aura belied power and wisdom beyond human comprehension._

 _Hans gazed at the woman in horror as he finally put two and two together. So she was the culprit behind this new avian form, which meant the rumors were true! Standing before him was none other than the witch of the garden. He screeched again, only for her to stuff a paintbrush dripping with mush into his beak._

 _Much to his surprise, it was quite sweet and at the same time, tangy – a mix of forest berries, judging by its taste._

 _"Now listen well, little prince," said the witch as she loomed over him, "I do not like thieves, but since you came back to apologize, there might be some hope for you just yet. The road will be long and hard, but the reward is worth the risk."_

 _"I demand you change me back!" he screeched. "I want to go home!"_

 _It seemed that the witch understood the language of the birds for she threw her head back and laughed. "_ Home _?" she scoffed, "You call that death trap a home? That place would kill you in more ways than one! You'd best thank your lucky stars I managed to get you out before it corrupted you any further."_

 _"I want to go home!" he insisted as he angrily flapped his wings, "Change me back and take me home right this instant!"_

 _By now, the woman had had enough of the bird-prince's impertinent behavior. She drew herself to her full height and when she spoke, there was a thunderous timbre to her voice. "My answer is no, and it shall remain so until I say otherwise." She picked up the bowl of mush and set it before him. "Now eat. It's good for you."_

 _He glared venomously at her retreating form, too angry to eat. He needed to find a way out, one way or another._

* * *

Despite the wintry weather, or perhaps because of it, Elsa and Anna were having the time of their lives. So far, they had already spent the morning building a snowman, skating on the ice, and engaging in a friendly ice fishing competition, and by noontide, both sisters had worked up quite the appetite.

Tittering as if they were children again, the royal sisters had found a suitable picnic spot in a secluded forest glen, and it was there that they partook of their midday meal. Lunch was delicious – gravlax sandwiches garnished with pickles, ham sandwiches topped with sauerkraut and cheese, rice pudding drizzled with a generous helping of cloudberry jam, four whole boxes of assorted chocolates, and a kettle of spiced cider kept warm over a fire.

"Once Kristoff took me on a nighttime sled ride," Anna said, her cheeks bulging with chocolate. "It was so romantic!" She swallowed before continuing her tale. "You should have been there– the sky was clear and dotted with stars, and just when we were about to kiss, an aurora borealis appeared." She sighed dreamily. "It was like a fairytale."

"It sound like a wonderful experience," Elsa agreed as she took a sip of her cider. "I'm so happy for you."

"What about you and the Firebird?" Anna asked.

Her older sister quirked a brow. "What about us?"

Anna nervously twiddled her thumbs. "I figured that since the two of you are betrothed and you have yet to freeze him or banish him… …um… …perhaps maybe you have grown to…. …uh… ...like him?"

"Anna, don't be silly," Elsa replied rather tersely, "I merely tolerate him at best."

The princess chewed on her lower lip. "Erm, Elsa… …promise me you won't be angry, but can I tell you something?"

"Alright, what is it?"

"I think you're being a little hard on him," Anna opined. "I've spent some time with him, and so far he seems to be a pretty decent sort."

"That may be so, but you're not the one who has to marry a bird," Elsa muttered. "Decent or not, there's nothing natural about this union."

"If I were in your place, I would've been glad," said the younger Solberg. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but he's absolutely smitten with you. Not many women have the luxury of a suitor that devoted. I really think you should give him a chance."

"Anna, I don't think–"

"Please try!" pleaded the ginger-haired girl. "Who knows? Maybe you'll grow to like him."

Elsa felt her spirits sink. This was the very scenario she was trying to avoid. With the Firebird gaining Anna's approval, the whole situation just got even more complicated. Arguing would also prove to be moot, given that the princess could be very vocal on her opinions and very defensive of her friends. ' _Still_ ,' she couldn't help but wonder, ' _What does Anna see in the Firebird that made her defend him so much and insist that I get to know him_?'

* * *

It was close to sundown when the royal sisters returned home, and much to Elsa's relief, everything at Arendelle Castle seemed to be in good order. She had worried that the castle would be in ruins or worse by the time she and Anna returned; but so far, the Firebird had debunked her fears by doing a splendid job in managing her affairs. Everything was running smoothly, and the staff went about their chores with nary a complaint.

In addition, not only did the Firebird exceed expectations with the administrative work, but he had also managed to squeeze in enough time to prepare an exquisite candlelight dinner for two.

The table was meticulously set and laden with all of Elsa's favorite foods. The silverware had been polished to perfection and a vase full of her favorite flowers served as the centerpiece. All in all it was a very romantic atmosphere, and everything was perfect… ….except for the suitor waiting for her at the opposite end.

"So…. Elsa, how was your day?" the Firebird asked.

"Just fine…" she replied, eyeing the table with scrutiny. ' _Did he really do all this? Just for me_?' She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't moved by the gesture, but as thoughtful as it was, the fact remained that she was being courted by a bird. It was simply unacceptable.

"Aren't you going to take a seat?" he offered, not unkindly.

"Why?" she whispered, her trembling fists balled at her sides.

The Firebird peered up at her, confused. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Why do you insist on this? On all of this!" she cried, gesturing to the table, "I may be forced to marry you, but I don't want to be with you!"

"For what reason?" he asked, pinning her with his stare.

"Because!"

"Because why, Elsa?" he pressed, despite the pain of rejection welling in his chest. "Why do you dislike me so much when you don't even know me?"

"I know enough," she spat, "And from what I've seen, there is nothing to like about you."

"Alright then," he challenged, "Name one thing that you know about me."

"Well you... You…" She racked her brain, hoping to find any shred of information she could use against the Firebird, only to come up blank. Even his personality was an enigma. Yes, he _was_ clingy, sardonic, and smug; but at the same time, he was also friendly, considerate, and helpful. If anything, he was very much like a Russian nesting doll – opening one layer would only reveal yet another, and it was there that she realized that she did indeed know nothing about him.

"Just as I thought…" said the Firebird. "You know nothing about me and yet you choose to remain in the dark. Why are you so adamant on not knowing? Is it because you're afraid that you might come to like me? Maybe even love me?"

"I-I…" Elsa worked her jaw, trying to come up with a suitable response; but try as she might, she just could not counter his statement. The Firebird was just far too perceptive, so much so that not even she could hide her secrets from him, and it frightened her. "I have to go..."

Before the Firebird could even protest, she quickly turned on her heel and hurried out, never noticing the heartbroken look on his face.

 ** _To be continued..._**

 ** _Beta and cover image: Nightrain and Brownstone_**

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Elsa's exterior is cracking, but it will take much much more than words. Will he succeed? We shall see...**_

 _ **Any way please hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review and stay tuned for the next one.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot.**_

 _ **The last time we left off it seems that Firebird has found a friend in Anna and he has helped Elsa a bit. Still she does not seem to like him. But who knows...maybe in time she will grow to like then love him...maybe...lol**_

 _ **For all those who have read or like the concept so far, hopefully this chapter will not disappoint. So p**_ _ **lease read on, enjoy and review when done as I would like to know how you all like it so far or if you have any questions. :)**_

* * *

 _As days turned to weeks, and weeks into months, any hope Hans had of ever escaping the witch's clutches and returning home had faded away. Try as he might, there was just no way out. Every escape he attempted always ended in failure, each one worse than the last._

 _To further wound his pride, no one from his family even bothered to look for him, much less rescue him. Of course, he had expected as much from people like his parents and eleven brothers, but to have Lars abandon him like that – the pain was almost too much to bear._

 _Tears pricked at his eyes. The witch was right. There was absolutely nothing to look forward to if he returned home, and Lars' betrayal just cemented that fact. Disconsolate and demoralized, he cried himself to sleep._

* * *

 _Although he was being held against his will, Agathe, the witch – or enchantress, as she preferred to be called – did not seem to be of the bad sort and treated him well. Even though it was she who had cursed him into this form, she still took good care of him, which was much more than what Hans could say about his birth mother; and in time, he gradually got accustomed to his avian form and his new life._

 _A year and a half had passed since that fateful day and as the seasons changed, so did his body. One by one, the fluffy red feathers began to molt as flaming feathers of red and gold took their place. He was much bigger now, about the same size as a turtledove, and he had developed this strange urge to fly._

 _Day in, day out, he would flap his wings, and each time he could feel them getting stronger. Of course, this brought forth a new set of problems._

 _At first, it began with his inexplicable need to jump off his perches, only to drop like a rock. Then he had learned to hover, but his stamina was far too low, so he could only stay in the air for three minutes at most. It did not help that he was still growing, and his fluctuating weight also affected his ability to fly._

 _Apparently, his physical changes had piqued Agathe's interest too because one day, just before she was about to feed him, she suddenly picked him up. Startled by the sudden contact, he screeched and struggled to free himself from her grip, but she held fast. With a gentle hand and utmost care, she turned him this way and that, checking his feathers, and measuring his wingspan._

 _"You're ready," she observed, setting him back down._

 _He cocked his head, peering up at her confusedly. "Ready for what?"_

 _"To fly, of course," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Your primary feathers have grown." She pulled up a chair and sat down, studying him intently. "Now that I think about it, you remind me of someone I once knew…" she mused, "…a prince, to be exact._

 _"He was quite similar to you– no, worse even," the enchantress went on. "He was entitled, selfish, and angry at the world. As punishment, I cursed him with a transformation spell and he was turned into a hideous beast."_

 _Green eyes widened at that. "You mean to say, I'm not the first person you cursed?"_

 _She laughed, the sound smooth and elegant. "Child, I may not look like it, but I am over five hundred years old. There have been countless others before you that have shared a similar fate. Some learn their lesson, some do not; but do know that I do not, have not, and will not cast these spells on a whim."_

 _"And what of the beast-prince?" Hans asked._

 _"He had a happy ending, I can tell you that much," Agathe replied, "However, he had to work hard for it. Many times, had he almost given in to despair._

 _"But like you, I knew what he could be, the potential he had… He was lost and needed guidance– something that I was more than happy to provide. A little push in the right direction, and he was able to discover who he was meant to be."_

 _"Oh sure, because turning people into animals is the most effective way to teach them a lesson," he scoffed._

 _She gave him a light flick on the forehead. "Don't get smart with me, Brat!" she scolded. "When I cast my spell on you, I was quite surprised when you turned into a hatchling. The cursed form varies from person to person, but it's usually a beast or a toad; so this only reinforces the idea that there is much potential in you, even more than the usual."_

 _"Wait, what?! You mean to say I wasn't supposed to turn into a bird?" Hans exclaimed._

 _Agathe nodded in affirmation. "That's right. When the curse hit, it must have triggered some innate magic buried deep within you, which in turn resulted in some… …_ extraordinary developments _."_

 _"Wh-what do you mean?" Hans asked. "What developments? Come to think of it, just what exactly did I turn into?"_

 _She chuckled. "You're an inquisitive one, aren't you? But worry not, Little Prince, all will be revealed in due time." She set down a bowl of mush and pushed it towards him. "As for now, eat up. Growing birds need to eat, and you're going to need all the strength you can get." Having said that, she got up and took her leave, leaving Hans to ponder on what he had just learned._

* * *

 _Hans stared in disbelief at the sight before him._

 _'_ Do my eyes deceive me? Is that an open window I see _?' Ever since he had learned to fly, Agathe only opened the windows whenever she was in the room, so to have one open while he was alone was quite the surprise._

 _He flew up the sill and poked his head out, relishing the cool breeze and warm sunshine. From where he was perched, he could see the turrets of Westergaard Castle. His thoughts immediately turned to his family._

 _'_ Do I still want to return home _?' he wondered. Now that he thought about it, even though he was technically a prisoner, life at Agatha's household hadn't been too bad, given that he wasn't being bullied or abused on a daily basis._

 _But as awful as his family was, they were still bound by the bond of blood. And there was the matter concerning Lars, who, aside from Agathe was the only one in his life to ever show him any kindness. At the very least, he wanted some closure regarding his situation._

 _Having made up his mind, he spread his wings and took flight._

* * *

It was now close to a month since the Firebird had come to live in Arendelle Castle, and during that time, he had become a familiar face to its inhabitants. So far, he had already managed to warm up to just about all of the castle's residents. All except one…

Although she had gotten used to the Firebird's presence, Elsa still could not help but feel somewhat vexed at the fact that he chose to stick around despite her frigid attitude towards him. She had hoped that perhaps if he saw the worst aspect of her personality, he would give up on this fool's errand of winning her heart. But much to her dismay, the Firebird was a lot more tenacious than she gave him credit for, and he gave as good as he got.

That morning, as she woke, Elsa noticed that the Firebird was still fast asleep. Usually, he was up before sunrise, so he must have been quite tuckered out to still be in bed at this point. Suddenly, a devilishly wicked idea came upon her. Grinning like a Cheshire Cat, she stealthily crept over to bay window where he was sleeping. She then grabbed the edge of his blanket nest with both hands and yanked it with all her might.

The Firebird hit the floor with a yelp. Dazed and groggy, he flailed about, trying to right himself. Once he managed to haul himself to his feet, he glared at the laughing queen. "What was that for?"

She flashed him a narrow smile. "Consider that as payback for the last wakeup call you gave me."

The Firebird's beak quirked up into a matching smirk. "Ah… So the queen _does_ have a playful side…" he purred, "I like that."

"I'm just in a good mood, that's all," Elsa said, chuckling lightly.

"I think it suits you, and so does your laugh," he told her. "It really adds to your beauty. Which reminds me, have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

She turned away and cast him a sideways glance. "Sweet nothings this early in the morning? Really?"

He wiggled his brow. "But I know you like it."

"I do not!" she protested.

"And yet you're blushing," the Firebird pointed out.

"What!?" Quickly striding over to her dressing table, she was mortified to discover that she was indeed blushing.

The Firebird chuckled. Elsa was just too adorable, to the point that it was almost impossible not to tease her. But what he said was true. Elsa really was a beautiful woman, even more so when she let her emotions shine.

"So," he began, flying up to meet her eyes, "What's the agenda for today?"

"Why do you ask?" Elsa inquired.

"I'm just trying to be a supportive husband," he replied.

"I don't need you to be, I'll manage fine on my own," the queen told him as she tried to swallow down her chagrin at the thought of him becoming her husband.

But despite the blatant rejection, the Firebird was undaunted. "Very well, but can I at least have the pleasure of accompanying you?"

Elsa acknowledged his request with a stiff nod. As much as she wanted to say no, she knew by now that the Firebird was a persistent creature and he would most likely just follow her around regardless of her answer.

* * *

The morning routine proceeded smoothly, much to Elsa's relief. After an uneventful breakfast with the Firebird and her sister, her schedule mostly consisted of some paperwork and an audience to settle some minor disputes.

After lunch, both Elsa and the Firebird then proceeded to the council room where the queen would be discussing the national budget and the fund allotment for the various government programs. When they arrived, the council lords were already assembled and it did not take long for the meeting to begin.

From his perch by the bay window, the Firebird quietly observed the proceedings of the conference. He could see that Elsa was struggling to get the Folkesthing's approval, which was sad in itself, as she truly was a capable monarch; but the council's gender bias was making it difficult for her to be taken seriously.

He wanted to help her, he truly did, but he also knew that given her near-pathological need for control, Elsa would most likely not take it well.

Time ticked on and by four-o-clock, the meeting had concluded, but instead of leaving for their estates as they normally would, the council lords, led by the Duke of Weselton decided to stay awhile to address one more question.

"When is the wedding?" they asked.

"By next spring," the Firebird quickly replied, before Elsa could even protest.

"Sorry to disappoint," said the Duke. "But I'm afraid you'll have to postpone your plans. Until you prove your worth by completing three trials of our choosing, there won't be a wedding."

The Firebird narrowed their eyes at him. Judging by the look on the old man's face, he had to be planning something, and whatever it was, it couldn't be anything good. ' _Well, two can play it that way_.'

"Ah, I see…" he said, nodding. "Very well then, let's hear it. I've always liked a good challenge."

The Duke's unpleasant smile grew even more unpleasant still. "That's good to hear. Now listen well… When Agnarr was courting Iduna, he presented her with a beautiful jewelry set and crown. Since you are courting their eldest daughter, it is only fitting that you do the same."

"Really? A jewelry set and a crown?" the Firebird scoffed, "Couldn't you have come up with something a bit more difficult?"

The Duke's moustache bristled. "As if we'd allow for such an easy victory. We expect to see the crown and set by tomorrow morning. Should you show up empty-handed, your betrothal along with that of Kristoff Bjorgman will be considered null and void and both the queen and princess will marry noble princes of our choosing."

"Alright, I agree to those terms," said the Firebird with a calm nod.

All this time, the queen watched them, silently fuming. Never in her life had she felt so angry. It was quite demeaning as to how they were bargaining over her and her sister as if they were nothing but livestock at the market. If looks could kill, both the Firebird and the Duke would have been dead a thousand times over.

* * *

Once Elsa was ensconced in the privacy of her room, she finally let her anger, frustration, and shame loose, all of which was manifested in a swirling mass of ice and snow.

"How could you!?" she yelled, glaring poisonously at the Firebird, who was calmly seated in his nest. "How could you accept such an impossible task! You're just going to embarrass us both!"

"And how would you know that, my dear?" he asked in a rather cocky tone.

"Don't call me that!" she snarled. "There's no way anyone could procure a crown and a jewelry set in such short notice. It's impossible!"

The Firebird snorted. "Impossible, you say? You have ice powers and you're speaking to a me, a living, breathing firebird, none of which are supposed to exist."

"And what does that have to do with anything?" Elsa spat.

"Everything, really," he replied. "If your powers exist, and I'm not a myth, then who is say to I can't make the finest jewelry set and the daintiest crown a queen could wear?"

"Even so, they want it tomorrow," she pointed out, "It's impossible for you or anyone else to make a jewelry set overnight." In her anger, she began to cry. "It's bad enough that I have to marry you, and now I'll be an even bigger laughingstock if I show up with nothing tomorrow. You said that I won't regret marrying you, but I do!"

Overwrought with emotion, she threw herself onto her bed, weeping bitterly. She no longer cared if he was watching, for if he dared to mock her or even be sarcastic in any way, she would freeze his feathers off one by one.

Watching Elsa weep, the Firebird could not help but feel sorry for her. Nobody, especially one as young as she, deserved to undergo such turmoil. He flew over to her and gently stroked her head. "Believe me when I say you won't be disappointed tomorrow," he said soothingly. "I promise you that all will be well. All I ask is for you to trust me."

But despite his best efforts, Elsa was inconsolable as she continued to cry at the hopelessness of her situation. Eventually, her sobs died down to quiet heaving, and then nothing. Peering down at her, the Firebird soon noticed that she had fallen asleep.

Once he was sure that she was fast asleep, he spread his wings and quietly flew out the window. Exiting the castle, he made his way towards the town. He circled around for a bit, until he came across the goldsmith's workshop.

He dove into the chimney, stealthily making his way into the workshop. He then carefully checked his surroundings, taking great care to ensure that he was completely alone, and once he was certain that there was no one else with him, he immolated himself in a pillar of fire.

The flames raged on, consuming the Firebird's form; but strangely enough, there were no anguished screams. And from this curtain of fire, a figure stepped out – not the Firebird, but that of human male, tall and well-built.

He was a handsome young fellow, somewhere around his early twenties, with auburn hair and sharp green eyes. He was dressed in fine garments befitting of royalty, which was then shrouded by a hooded cloak with flame motifs. All in all, he cut an imposing figure, for this comely youth was none other than the Firebird's true form, the long-lost thirteenth prince of the Southern Isles, Hans Westergaard.

Around the same time the young man made his appearance, out of nowhere, dozens of tiny blue lights – will-o'-the-wisps – flickered into being. They gathered around him, chattering happily.

Gently, he shushed them. "I'm happy to see you too, but we must be quiet; we don't want to wake the neighborhood."

"We're just worried Hans," they chorused. "Everyone is."

He smiled, grateful for their concern. "There is no need to be. They're treating me very well," he told them. "Nonetheless, I'm glad you came because I need your help. I need you to bring me some fairy gold– yellow and white, as well as emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds."

Once the will-o'-the-wisps came back with the requested items, Hans set to work. Taking off his cloak, coat, and gloves, he began the process by heating the furnace with a wave of his hand, controlling the temperature with his pyrokinesis.

They were sorely underestimating his abilities if they thought that procuring the set and crown would be an impossible task. To a lesser being, perhaps; but he was the Phoenix and very much capable of going beyond the impossible.

He put the gold in the four separate crucibles and heated them in the furnace. Once it had melted completely, with a gentle wave of his hand, he eased it out of the crucible; and as the molten gold floated about, he began shaping them into the desired pieces.

He first began with a set inspired by the element of earth. With a flick of his wrist, he formed the gold into filigree with leaf designs, whilst the will-o'-the-wisps helped with the smaller details as well as setting the gems.

And as he worked, he began to sing:

" _I need no brush or paint to make_

 _A picture for my true love's sake,_

 _For it is crafted from my heart_."

" _For it is crafted from my heart_ ," chimed the will-o'-the-wisps.

" _Verdant leaves, blooming flowers_

 _Twinkling stars, meteor showers_

 _Come create the truest art_."

" _Come create the truest art_."

Once Hans had finished the first set, he then moved on to the second set which was inspired by the element of fire. Taking the rest of the yellow gold, he wove them into delicate shapes, all the while chanting:

" _Every star and constellation_

 _Brings forth the sweetest inspiration,_

 _Joy and light to banish my sorrow_."

" _Joy and light to banish my sorrow_ ," chorused the will-o'-the-wisps as they inserted the cut rubies into the jewel set.

" _Help me put what's real and warm_

 _Into this small but heartfelt poem,_

 _With love to last beyond tomorrow_."

" _With love to last beyond tomorrow_."

Now that the second set was complete, he then picked up the white gold and the sapphires to form the third set inspired by the element of water.

" _A mighty ship led by a ray of light_

 _Sailing in the dead of night_

 _Brave and true across the sea_ …"

" _Brave and true across the sea_ …" sang the will-o'-the-wisps as they set the sapphires into their respective jewelry.

" _And if our paths should ever part_

 _May the cherished bond that joins our hearts_

 _Bring my true love back to me_."

" _Bring my true love back to me_."

With three sets complete, Hans now set to work on the final set inspired by the element of ice. With magic, he poured out the remaining white gold, carefully crafted the pieces as he did.

" _One thought remains to picture here–_

 _The thought my heart holds most dear,_

 _As it transcends through time and space_."

" _As it transcends through time and space_."

As he worked on the crown, he made sure to put a lot of snowflake patterns in the scrollwork and filigree. To enhance the effect, diamonds were added, making the piece shimmer. Truly, it was a crown fit to be worn by the grandest queen.

" _One image remains, yet to be seen,_

 _My beloved Elsa, Arendelle's queen–_

 _A name, a face time cannot erase_."

" _A name, a face time cannot erase_."

He smiled, happy to have finished all four sets. He then snuffed out the furnace and transformed back into his avian form. Taking the jewel sets, he then exited the workshop and returned to the castle, hoping that they would be to Elsa's liking.

* * *

After a night of fitful sleep, morning came too soon, much to Elsa's displeasure. Her eyes were dry and puffy from having cried so much, and she could feel a migraine pounding at her skull. Her entire body was stiff and sore, and to add to her discomfort, she could see the Firebird calmly sitting in his nest, studying her with his emerald gaze.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

Elsa blinked, surprised. It was not the first time he had asked her such a question, far from it; but he had often voiced it with a sarcastic tone that hearing it being said so sincerely was rather jarring.

"Not really…" she mumbled, rubbing her stiff neck.

He placed a comforting wing on her arm. "Elsa, when I said all will be well, I meant every single word. Nothing bad will ever happen to you, not while I'm by your side… So please… Just take courage and don't lose hope."

"But–"

"Just trust me on this," he assured her, "Everything will work out, you have my word."

* * *

Despite the Firebird's repeated assurance, Elsa could not help but feel a sense of dread. Even Anna and Kristoff's company could not alleviate the negative emotions that roiled within her. Arriving at the throne room, she glared at the smug looks and snide asides being directed towards her and her sister.

"I see that your fiancé is absent today," observed the Duke of Weselton as he strolled over to the royal sisters. "Don't tell me he has already conceded." He sighed in mock disappointment. "A shame too, as I was looking forward to see the crown and set."

"And you will," declared the Firebird as he entered the throne room, followed by four servants, each one carrying an ornately carved box. "As promised, here are the jewelry sets you asked for."

Hushed whispers could be heard among all those gathered and the smug expressions turned into those of shock as they ogled at the boxes being brought in. Did the Firebird say jewelry _sets_? As in more than one? The Folkesthing had deliberately chosen this task because they knew it was impossible to accomplish, so to see the Firebird go the extra mile by presenting not one, not two, but _four_ jewelry sets was a great blow to their ego.

Brimming with confidence, the Firebird then turned to Elsa. "Why don't you open them, my dear? I'm sure they will be to your satisfaction."

Mechanically, Elsa reached for the first box, made of oak carved with many intricate leaf patterns. Carefully, she opened it to reveal a beautiful set of gold jewelry – a choker, ring, and earrings with filigree leaf patterns molded over glimmering emeralds.

Attached to the inside of the lid was note penned in an elegant script. It read, " _Inspired by the vast forests of Arendelle and its thriving timber trade. May this set remind us of the harmony of life_."

'Is this an illusion?' Elsa wondered, staring at the ornaments in disbelief. But it could not be. Each item was as real as could be, tangible proof of the Firebird's grit and gumption.

She then moved on to open the second box, this one made of ash with a sunburst motif. Inside was a pendant, ring, and earrings, all exquisitely designed to look like miniature suns. They invoked power and grace, the effect further enhanced by the rubies that adorned them.

Just like it was in the first box, there was also a note attached in this one. It read, " _Inspired by brought on by Arendelle's summer sun. May this set bring light and warmth into your hearts_."

By now, even the nobles of the Folkesthing were awestruck. Once again, murmurs could be heard from among their number, praising the quality of the jewelry's craftsmanship; though this time, their tone was decidedly a lot more genuine.

The third box was made of cypress with stylized waves carved on the lid and sides. By now, Elsa's hesitation had dwindled considerably. She even felt, dare she say it, eager to see what lay inside.

Opening it, she was glad to see that the contents did not disappoint. Sapphires cut like water drops adorned the pendant, ring, and bracelet; the latter of which, was also embellished by a repoussé of an Arendellian merchant ship.

Picking up the note inside, she read, " _Inspired by the merchant ships that ply Arendelle's fjords. May this set help build camaraderie and friendship through openness and trade_."

The Duke harrumphed. "Yes, yes, they're all elegant pieces… But without the crown, none of these matter."

"There's still one box left," Anna argued, pointing at the servant carrying the intricately carved pinewood chest.

Nodding, Elsa opened the box to reveal the last set, whose theme was inspired by ice and snow. The white gold necklace and ring with their snowflake motif, accentuated by glittering diamonds, gave it an air of opulence; but what really got everyone's attention was the crown itself.

It was delicately wrought with filigree shaped like snowflakes, and the diamonds that adorned it shone like stars. Never before had there been anything like it. Truly, it was a piece worthy of the grandest queen.

" _Inspired not only by ice and snow, but also Arendelle's queen and the ice harvesters who toil in an element of beauty and danger. May this set inspire all to regard others with a clear mind and a pure heart_."

A soft smile graced Elsa's lips as she reread the notes. Not only had the Firebird successfully complete the first trial, but he did it in a way that incorporated all of the important aspects of Arendelle's culture and paid tribute to them. Now that she thought about it, it was actually quite clever on his part. Whenever she wore any of the jewelry, the people would know that she would always have their best interest at heart.

"Indeed these are the most beautiful jewelry that I have ever seen," she declared, "And it's not because of the gold or precious gems, but because they represent Arendelle, its culture, and its people. The Firebird has not only succeeded in making the crown and sets, but he has also given us a reminder of what is important, and for that I thank him."

From the corner of her eye, she could see the Firebird puff his chest in pride as he basked in her praise. Normally, she would have scolded him; but for now, she would let him enjoy his victory. Given that he had done what he had promised and more, it was the very least she could do in return.

"So you've passed the trial, but it's not over yet," huffed the Duke, glaring at the Firebird. Despite his attempt to sound intimidating, the slight tremor in his tone indicated that he was quite shaken by the Firebird's success. "There are two more tasks to complete before we can deem you worthy of Queen Elsa's hand." Having said his piece, he, along with the other council nobles then made their exit.

"Sheesh… What a killjoy!" Anna remarked, sneering at the tiny man's back. "But I'm happy for you," she added, turning to the Firebird. "Only two more trials to go, and we'll be in the clear!"

"I don't think it's wise to count your chickens just yet," Kristoff piped up.

Anna gave a most unladylike snort. "Bah! What are you, the Duke? Don't be such a moment killer!"

Elsa had to giggle at that. After everything that happened, that moment of levity was a repose most welcome.

Just then, she felt a sudden chill, as if someone was watching her. She turned to see the Firebird staring at her intently.

"Well? I'm waiting," he said.

"For what?" Elsa asked, confused.

"I believe a proper 'thank you' is in order," he drawled. "Something along the lines of being allowed to sit and eat next to you should do very nicely."

Elsa huffed, irritated by the brazenness of his request; but then again he did help her out, so perhaps she could give him some leniency. "Fine… Just take care to mind your table manners this time."

His beak stretched into a thin smile. "Don't worry my dear wife; I believe you'll soon find my manners to be up to standard."

 ** _Beta and cover image: Nightrain and Brownstone_**

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Lol I will let the chapter speak for itself my fellow readers as I**_ _ **hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review to tell me what you all think of it and stay tuned for the next one. :)**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot.**_

 _ **The last time we left it has shown that Firebird has a lot of secrets and skills. With one trial down will those skills be enough to not only pass the next trials but win Elsa over? We shall see...**_

 _ **For now p**_ _ **lease read on, enjoy and review when done as I would like to know how you all like it so far or if you have any questions. :)**_

* * *

Elsa stared, dumbfounded at the sight before her. "I don't believe it…" she whispered.

Anna glanced up from her soup to look at her sister. "Believe what?"

"That…" the blonde replied, discretely pointing to the Firebird sitting across from her. The last time she had dined together with him, she had been quite appalled by his atrocious table manners; but now, his etiquette was impeccable.

Though he could not use the utensils provided due to a lack of opposable thumbs, it did not hinder him from eating with manners befitting the highborn. He tucked into his meal quite daintily and took slow, careful sips when he drank from his cup.

For a moment, Elsa could have sworn he was almost human.

' _Now you're just overthinking things_ ,' scolded her logical side, ' _Ice powers and talking birds are one thing, but_ shapeshifters _? Really_?'

"…sa! Elsa!" The sound of the Firebird calling her name jolted her back to reality.

"Huh? Yes?"

He leaned closer, peering at her concernedly. "Are you okay? You haven't touched your food one bit."

"Ah... Yes, I'm fine," she replied, taking a bite of her meal. "Just a little preoccupied, is all."

"Alright… Whatever you say…" said the Firebird, though he did not sound so convinced. "So… How's the fish?"

Elsa chewed a bit before swallowing. "Adequate."

"I find it more than adequate," Anna piped up with a contented sigh. "It's delicious!"

"It could use a bit more salt, though…" Kristoff remarked, poking at the dish with his fork.

Anna giggled. "Well, you _are_ the expert on fish." And at her comment, both Kristoff and the Firebird soon joined her in laughter.

"So…" said the Firebird, turning his attention back to Elsa, "How fares the Duke?"

"He's still recovering from his shock," the queen replied.

"Yes," Anna tittered, "He keeps on staring at the crown and jewelry as if they were illusions or something."

"Which brings the question," Kristoff put in, "How on earth did you make those sets so quickly? Because as far as I know, it would have taken weeks to make all those."

The Firebird smiled slyly. "Long story short, you could say I had some help of the _magical_ persuasion."

"Ooh! That's amazing," Anna gushed. She turned to Elsa, grinning madly. "Did you hear that? He has magic, just like you! I told you he's a perfect match!"

The older Solberg raised a brow at that. "Just because we have something in common doesn't immediately make us compatible. It's a marriage of convenience, in case you forgot."

"C'mon Elsa!" Anna wheedled, "He's been nothing but nice to you. At least give him a chance."

Elsa said nothing, but simply focused on eating. Once her plate was empty, she stood up and left the room without another word.

"Anna, I think you should have taken it easy on your sister," advised the Firebird, "She's been through a lot these last few days."

"I just think that you two would make a great couple," the princess grumbled with a petulant pout. "After all that you did for her, the dinner you prepared the other night, you'd think she would've warmed up to you by now. I mean, you've been here for a month for Christ's sakes!"

"That may be so," Kristoff spoke, adding his two pennings worth, "But you can't rush love. It's up to Elsa to decide on what she really thinks of the Firebird; and given her situation, I can't really blame her, no offense."

"None taken," said the Firebird.

"My point is, it isn't right to impose your will upon others," Kristoff continued, "If you want Elsa to find love, just pray that she will in her own due time. And knowing her, I'm confident she will someday."

* * *

After dinner, the Firebird went to look for Elsa, hoping to at least explain some of his intentions to allay her anxieties. His future sight had pointed to Elsa being his destined bride; but at the same time, Kristoff's opinion on their betrothal had indeed struck a chord with him. Now that he thought about it, perhaps he had been a bit too aggressive in his courtship.

' _Of course it would've overwhelmed her_ ,' his logical side pointed out. ' _The poor girl's clearly ill-prepared for such matters. You have to take it slow, one baby step at a time_.'

Eventually, he found her in her office, doing some paperwork; and judging by the number of stacks scattered about, she could be stuck there for a while.

"Need some help?" he offered.

"No, thank you," Elsa replied rather tersely, "I can handle this."

"But I insist," said the Firebird, flying closer.

Seeing that he was determined to stay, Elsa relented. "Fine…" she said, handing him a bundle of papers, "You can help me sort these documents according to priority."

For a while, they worked silently, the only sound being the rustling of papers as they slowly read through each stack. It was a drudging task, and the Firebird soon found himself feeling quite bored.

"Shall we have an icebreaker?" he suggested. "It'll be fun."

"No."

The Firebird frowned at Elsa's frosty response. "Why not?"

"Because we're here to work, not to have fun, that's why," she retorted.

"Don't you even want to know my name?" asked the Firebird.

"Are you going to help or not?" she snapped "Because I can manage just fine if you don't want to."

"Alright, alright, fine…" he grumbled bitterly as he resumed his work.

After some time had passed, the Firebird flew over to Elsa and handed her a sheaf of papers. "What's this?" she asked.

"Just a few proposals I thought up," he replied, "As I was reading the reports, I couldn't help but notice how Arendelle is lagging behind her neighbors. You did well with the tax reforms, but a lot of things need a complete overhaul like the justice system, economic policy, and social welfare, just to name a few."

The expression on Elsa's face was positively glacial. "Are you trying to imply that I don't know how to run my own kingdom?"

"What? No!" the Firebird asserted, "Of course not! I'm just trying to give you some advice!"

"Oh?" She tilted her chin imperiously. "And what would you know about that?"

"Well... I do have some experience–" said the Firebird.

Elsa scoffed. "What experience? Have you looked at yourself? How could you possibly know anything about political administration? You're just a dumb animal!"

But as soon as those poisonous words left her lips, she instantly felt a pang of regret. Looking at the Firebird's face, she could see his expression shift from shock to hurt to anger. She opened her mouth to apologize, but before she could get another word in, the Firebird shut her down.

"Just an animal?" he whispered, his fury evident despite the calm tone. "Is that all I am to you?"

Cowed, Elsa wisely held her tongue.

"I am much, much more than an animal," he continued, flying up to meet her eyes. "But I suppose I can't blame you… I mean, you're clearly the worldly one, aren't you? So tell me, Your Majesty, have you ever been to the tallest mountain in the world? So tall that you can almost touch the sky?"

Elsa averted her gaze before shaking her head.

"No?" the Firebird sneered, "Then maybe you've visited the deserts of Egypt where one of the greatest civilizations once stood?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head yet again.

"Oh? Then what about the tropical forests where thousands of living lights gather once a year in a ritual dance to find their mates? Or maybe the vast expanse of the sea where many islands await with untold mysteries and the coral reefs that come alive with all manner of creatures? Have you ever danced with the gypsies as they share their wisdom in stories and song? Or explored the sea rocks off Britain where mystery and magic still exist to this day? Have you ever experienced all those, hmm?"

Elsa whimpered softly. "No, I have not."

"Of course you haven't," the Firebird scoffed. "You've never even set foot outside of Arendelle. I, on the other hand, have been to many places, have met many people, and have seen many things– the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful."

His eyes softened as he was reminded of those halcyon days when he was free to explore the world as he pleased. "True wisdom is never acquired by spending their days vegetating in one spot." Then his previous anger returned. "I am more than just an animal, and given your attitude, I'm left wondering just who is the real animal here!"

Having finished his tirade, the Firebird exited the room, leaving Elsa sitting in shock. Haunted by his words, she could feel the guilt weighing down in the pit of her stomach, making her feel profoundly ill. As she reflected on her words and actions, she realized that she had gone completely out of line.

The Firebird had gone out of his way to help her, and she had repaid him with coldness and disdain. Her behavior towards him had been quite appalling and she had nobody to blame but herself.

* * *

The Firebird furiously flapped his wings as he sped away from the castle, his mood blacker than the night sky above. He had no particular destination in mind, but he was too angry to care.

Landing at an isolated cliff overlooking the sea, he promptly turned into his human form before letting out an anguished scream.

"There's just no changing that woman!" he growled as he paced around. In his anger, he began repeatedly punching the rock face. His fist exploded in pain with each hit, but he ignored it. He just wanted to expel all the anger and sorrow he had been bottling up.

After several more agonizing moments, Hans dropped to the ground, panting and exhausted. His fist was thoroughly battered, and the rock face was smeared with blood.

With a heavy sigh, he summoned forth some golden flames that completely engulfed his injured hand, healing his wounds.

' _Maybe my future sight was wrong_ …' he thought glumly, ' _Maybe Elsa and I just weren't meant to be_ …'

And just to further compound his misery, sleet began to fall. ' _Kick me while I'm down, why don't you_?' he scowled, pulling his hood up in an effort to stay dry. ' _Typical_ …'

* * *

By the time the sleet had finally stopped, Hans was thoroughly drenched; not that it was a problem as his pyrokinesis could at the very least keep him warm. But still, his confrontation with Elsa and the ensuing meltdown had left him emotionally drained and physically numb.

He had been aimlessly meandering along the cliffside for quite some time now, trying to come to terms with what just happened. But even though long walks usually helped eased his thoughts, this time, it did not, and he did not particularly feel like flying either.

Suddenly, he noticed something a short distance away. Curious, he walked closer to discover a pair of monoliths, not unlike the menhirs and stone circles of Ireland, Britain, and Gaul. However, what set these stones apart were the runes carved on each one.

"Agnarr… Iduna…" he read. Just then, he noticed the crocus symbol carved above the runes. His eyes narrowed. The crocus was Arendelle's royal sigil. Just what exactly was the connection between these monoliths and the Arendellian monarchy?

He absentmindedly traced the pattern only to be bombarded by several visions – a man and a woman dressed in royal raiment, a majestic warship, and then, a storm. As they met their demise among the churning waves, he could feel the couple's fear and anguish as if they were his own; but most noteworthy of all, he felt their regret. Of what exactly, he was not exactly sure, but there was no mistaking that emotion.

Hans pulled his hand back with a shiver. Just _what_ had he seen? This new development was just getting curiouser and curiouser.

Just then, he heard footsteps, followed by a voice, a female voice calling in the distance. "Firebird, Firebird, where are you?"

Thinking quickly, he ducked behind the nearest monolith. ' _Elsa? What is she–? In this weather, no less_?' If he had to be honest with himself, he was happy that she actually cared enough to look for him, but at the same time he had to remind himself that she was the reason that he was in a black mood in the first place. Clearly, she had come to apologize, but unless her words were sincere, there was no way he would be revealing himself to her.

* * *

With a frustrated sigh, Elsa set down the document she was reading. Try as she might, she just could not focus on her work. She thought she would be happy now that the Firebird had gone, but strangely enough, she found that she wasn't. She could deny it as much as she wanted, but even that could not tamp down the tiny bubble of worry rising to her throat as she listened to the pitter-patter of sleet against the window.

While she knew that the Firebird was more than capable of taking care of himself, it was not like him to be out for so long, and with the weather conditions outside, she could not help but feel concerned. Had he been caught in the storm?

She shook her head. ' _Why should I even care? It's not like I told him to run out, and even so, it's his own fault for barging into my life in the first place_.'

But still, it did not feel right to leave him be. And in her heart of hearts, she knew she was also at fault. Rubbing at her temples, she sighed. ' _I can't believe I'm doing this_ …'

Having made her decision, she swallowed her pride and set out to find the Firebird and bring him back.

* * *

Hidden behind the stone monument, Hans could feel his heart racing a mile a minute as he heard Elsa approach. She was close, so very close, and if she drew any closer, there was a high chance that she might discover his true appearance.

It was not that he didn't want her to see him as a human. Quite the contrary, in fact. But at the same time, he also wondered if she could ever look past the physical appearance and see what was really lay underneath. If he were to reveal himself now as he was, then he would never know if she could love him for him.

As Elsa neared the monoliths, she grew quiet. The only sound being the quiet crunch of her footfalls against the rocky path. Then when she was about three feet away, she stopped.

"Hello Mother, hello Father…" he heard her say.

' _Mother? Father_?' He shifted a bit to listen better. So that explained the visions and the crocus on the stones. This entire time he had been hiding out in the royal cemetery, and at the gravesite of Elsa's parents no less!

"It's been a while since I last saw you both… I'll try to visit more often, but with how things are…" Her voice hitched as she began to cry. "Just what am I going to do? The country is in dire straits, and it's getting worse every day! Mama, Papa, I'm afraid… I'm afraid of the future and what it could hold. I know it sounds stupid, but I can't help what I feel… God, I'm such a failure!

"Maybe Arendelle would better off without me…" she wept, "Anna would definitely make a better queen, the people actually love her! The Firebird is right… If he wanted me to see what I failure I am, he won! I am a failure! A disgusting failure! A fake who's playing dress-up!"

Hans frowned. It was never his intention to make Elsa think such a thing, he just wanted her to see the truth so he could help her. She was neither a failure nor a fake. She was one of the most noble people he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. If only she could see what he sees in her, what Anna sees in her…

"I wish that you two were here," she sobbed, "Then maybe things won't be so bad… Why did you two have to leave so soon?"

Behind the monument, Hans silently chewed on his lip as Elsa's lamentation echoed through his mind. Earlier, he had considered returning to his friends at the Faerie Realm, but after hearing Elsa pour out her fears and insecurities, he realized that he could not leave. He just did not have the heart to abandon her, even if she was the proudest, most stubborn woman he had ever met.

' _Then it's settled_ ,' he said to himself, his green eyes afire with renewed resolve. There was no way he was going to give up Elsa just yet. She needed him now, even more than ever. Even if she were to reject him a thousand times over, he would continue to try to help her until he could help her no more.

* * *

It was past midnight when Elsa returned to Arendelle Castle without having seen a single trace of the Firebird. Although she was physically exhausted, her guilt made it difficult to enjoy a good night's sleep, and thus she returned to the study in hopes that drowning herself in work could at least take her mind off any thoughts of the Firebird.

As she toiled away, she discovered that Arendelle had long since been tottering on the brink of economic ruin even before she had ascended the throne. Heavy taxations to fund a disastrous war against the Dutch during the last years of her grandfather's reign, coupled with a devastating famine and corrupt politicians had practically bankrupted the national treasury to the point that the country was barely getting by.

The country's situation was indeed dire, but like the Firebird said, with the proper policies, there was still a chance to reverse the situation. It would hard, bitter work, but the reward would be worth it.

Eventually, her fatigue soon caught up with her, and she wound up sprawled across her desk, sleeping among the piles of paperwork.

At the same time, the Firebird soon returned, invigorated by his determination to help Elsa.

Flying through the window, he approached the desk only to see that she was fast asleep. And seeing that she wasn't going to wake up any time soon, he quietly shifted into his human form.

He walked over and gently placed a hand over her head, running his fingers through her hair, marveling at how soft it was. In response, Elsa leaned into his hand, comforted by this tender gesture.

Hans then carefully scooped her into his arms and carried her off to her room. It was a risky move as she could wake any moment; but at the same time, there was a possibility that she would not, given how Elsa was a heavy sleeper.

' _A herd of elephants could march past her room, and she still wouldn't wake_ ,' he mused, chuckling softly.

But just then, Elsa's eyes slowly fluttered open. Hans immediately froze as bleary blue stared up at his face. "Who…?" she yawned, trying to comprehend the current happenings. "What…? Am I dreaming?" But Morpheus' grip was stronger and she slowly drifted back to sleep.

Hans released the breath he had been holding. That was the second time that day that Elsa had nearly discovered his true form. He had to be more careful from now on.

Fortunately for him, by that hour the castle staff were all asleep as well, and the sentries had been patrolling another part of the castle, so no one else saw him and he was able to make it to Elsa's room without being detected.

With a delicate hand, he laid her on the bed. She looked so innocent and peaceful as she slumbered, nothing like the frigid ice queen persona that she projected. In fact, Hans could even say that she exuded a certain warmth. He leaned down to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "I'll take care of this," he whispered, "As long as I'm here, as long as I'm by your side, you need not worry ever again."

* * *

 _Elsa stared at her surroundings, baffled out of her wits. She knew she had been in the office not too long ago, so how did she wind up in the middle of the woods, and in the dead of night, no less?_

 _"Hello? Anybody there?" she called as she tried to navigate her way back to civilization. She could see a clearing in the distance, but no matter how much she walked she always seemed to returned to her starting point right below an old ash tree._

 _Suddenly, there was a loud hoot. Startled, she whipped her head towards the direction of the noise only to see a large snowy owl perched high up among the tree's gnarled branches._

 _It hooted again, staring at her with wise old eyes, cocking its head every now and then, as if it was studying her._

 _Perplexed by the creature's bold behavior, Elsa drew closer, only to jump back when the owl spoke._

 _"Dearest Elsa, have no fear,_

 _For you alone are mistress here._

 _Trust your heart and not your eyes,_

 _For appearances are full of lies."_

 _"Wh-what do you mean?" Elsa whimpered, panic seeping into her voice. "What's going on?"_

 _But before anyone could answer her question, there was a flash of light, and then nothing_ …

* * *

Azure eyes shot open and Elsa bolted into a sitting position, gasping. "A dream?" she murmured to no one in particular. But as peculiar as it was, it had felt so real. Not to mention there was that owl and that cryptic rhyme… ' _Trust your heart and not your eyes… Appearances are full of lies_ …' What did that all mean?

' _Either it means something or the extra workload is finally getting to me_ ,' she mentally grumbled, rubbing at her face. ' _And what is it with all these talking birds flocking towards me? As if I didn't have enough on my plate_.'

She blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the morning light streaming through the window. ' _Wait… Morning? And I'm in my room? Wha–? How did that happen_?' She racked her brain, trying to think back to when she returned to the castle. She recalled spending the night in her study, but beyond that, nothing.

' _Did I sleepwalk? Or did I just forget that I went to bed_?'

Just then, a light grunt brought her out of her stupor, and she turned to see the Firebird nestled among the pillows next to her.

She was about to give him a tongue-lashing for worrying her with his disappearance and his blatant disregard for personal space when she noticed a bunch of papers scattered in front of him. She picked them up and examined them, only to realize that these documents all contained contracts, drafts, and proposals – a compilation of ideas that could bring Arendelle back to its former glory.

' _The whole night_ …' she murmured, touched by his compassion and dedication. ' _He spent the whole night working to help me_ …'

She then picked up a blanket and draped it over his sleeping form. ' _I guess he's not as bad as I thought_ …'

 ** _Beta and cover image: Nightrain and Brownstone_**

* * *

 _ **Authors note: ohhhh seems that Firebird is starting to grow on Elsa.:) Any way I**_ _ **hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review to tell me what you all think of it and stay tuned for the next one. :)**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot.**_

 _ **The last time we left it has shown that Firebird and Elsa fought, but it did not stay that way.**_

 _ **Now for some answers. Yes it may seem that way, but in reality it is the other way around, Hans is doing the wrong thing for all the right reasons. Like he said in the past chapters "There is a method to my madness", Elsa in this au never got to quote "Let it go" she never got to the point where she began to embrace herself and her powers, she remained meek, reserved, the "gates never opened", it got worse as she was forced into the throne earlier than in the movie and the added stress, the pressure of the crown, having to be perfect, controlling her emotions took a huge toll on her emotionally, socially and psyche. Anna did try to help but failed as she could not get close to Elsa because she was always so busy being queen and had an image to uphold, so seeing this Hans did what he did to get Elsa to show emotions and such, to draw her out of her cocoon.**_

 _ **True it seems manipulative, but he has every good intention of helping her. As for the marriage, he got a little bit carried away when he realized she was his destined bride and forgot that falling in love takes time and is not something that happens overnight. Luckily Kristoff managed to help him with that by pointing this out.**_

 _ **Yes he seems one way, but he is very complex (even in cannon he is a complex character), like in a past chapter which was mentioned "He is like a Russian nesting doll, opening one layer reveals an entirely new layer".**_

 _ **Now this is all I can say for if I say more then it will be huge spoilers for future chapters.**_

 _ **For now p**_ _ **lease read on, enjoy and review when done as I would like to know how you all like it so far or if you have any questions. :)**_

* * *

 _Flying was a lot harder than Hans expected, the altitude made him queasy and he could feel his wings tiring out. Despite this, he flapped them as hard as he could, determined to get away the enchantress' abode._

 _It was strange though… Just a little while back, he could have sworn he had seen the onyx spires and towers of Westergaard Castle just peeking over the fence, so it was to his complete bafflement when he found himself flying over a dreary farming village, with the castle some distance away. He scowled to himself. This was Agathe's doing, he was quite sure of it. From the looks of it, she most likely teleported her property to another location just as he exited, and at the same time cast a spell to give the illusion that the castle was still nearby._

 _Eventually, his body could no longer handle the stress, and he wound up careening into a window. Fortunately for him, it was open and he ended up crash-landing onto a creaky old bed._

 _"Oh!" he heard someone exclaim._

 _Hans tensed. '_ Uh-oh… Now I'm going to catch it _.' He frantically flapped his wings, trying to right himself, but it was too late. He felt himself being scooped up by a pair of gentle hands and came face-to-face with a little girl._

 _She was a sweet, young thing, roughly around eleven years old give or take. She was quite pretty too with her curly raven-black hair and friendly blue eyes, although her complexion was a bit too pale for it to be considered healthy. Her movements were gentle and delicate, and if it were not for the ragged, patched dress she was wearing, Hans could have sworn she was, at the very least, of aristocratic descent instead of a simple farmer's daughter._

 _"What are you doing here, Mr. Bird?" she asked, her voice soft and lilting. "Are you –" Before she could say anything more, she erupted into a loud, hacking cough._

 _As much as Hans wanted to ask what was wrong, he knew the child would freak out if she heard him speak; so he simply peered up at her, chirping._

 _She carefully laid him on the window sill, gently petting his warm feathers. "Have you come to make me feel better?" she asked in between coughs. "Thank you…" She then yawned and leaned back into her straw pillow. "Oh, but I have to sleep now. See you tomorrow."_

 _'_ Phew! That was a close one _!' Hans said to himself as he watched the girl sleep. He then rested a bit to replenish his energy, and after a while, he was ready to set out once more. But just as he was about to leave, he caught the sound of raised voices, the sound of someone arguing coming from floor below. Curious, he flitted off the window sill and made his way to the staircase. Peering down below, he could see a man and a woman, locked in a heated debate. Like the little girl upstairs, they too looked ragged and haggard, but what bothered him the most was how the man was covered in scars._

 _"We must do something!" he heard a woman wail, "We can't let out daughter die!"_

 _A mixture of pity and dread washed over the prince-turned-bird. '_ Die _?' He may not have known the child from Adam, but even he knew that nobody deserved to die so young, especially one as innocent and pure as that little girl. He moved even closer, wanting to catch more of the grown-ups' conversation._

 _"Like what?" mourned the paterfamilias, "We have no money to spare for a doctor, in fact we can hardly afford to put food on the table or pay for our taxes. The king has already confiscated most of my land and all of our livestock. We have practically nothing left!"_

 _"Still, there must be something we can do!" the mother insisted._

 _"Not this time," said the father resignedly, holding his wife as she broke down and wept. "All we can do now is simply pray for a miracle."_

 _Hans felt his heart break at the sorrowful sight before him. Never had he seen suffering of such magnitude. As a royal prince, he, along with his brothers had been hidden away from the harsh reality of peasant life. Yes, he did have his share of troubles, but he could now see that it was nothing compared to the misery the common folk were subjected to. This family was proof of that._

 _'_ There must be something I can do to help _,' Hans thought to himself. As he wracked his brain, he suddenly had an idea… His mother had a large assortment of fine jewelry, many of which she never used, so it was unlikely that she would miss one. If he could take one and give it to the farmer's family, maybe they could sell it and use the money to get the little girl a doctor and buy a bit of food._

 _'_ But would I dare to steal from my own mother _?' The thought itself was unsavory, but seeing how pale and sickly the little girl was gave him the initiative to do the deed. '_ It's for the greater good _,' he reminded himself. '_ The end justifies the means _.'_

 _Having made up his mind, Hans quickly left the village for Westergaard Castle. It was still a good distance away, but the memory of the destitute family gave him the endurance to overcome his fatigue._

 _Arriving at the castle, Hans discovered that it was heavily guarded and the windows were shuttered tight, so getting inside the conventional way was definitely out of the question. But then, he spotted an unlit chimney. It was a long shot, but by this point, he was willing to try anything. Throwing all caution to the wind, he promptly slipped inside._

 _Going through a chimney, even an unlit one, was not particularly a pleasant experience. It was dark, sooty, and the smell of smoke and ash clung to his nostrils and made him cough. But despite this, he managed to make his way inside._

 _Shaking the soot off his feathers, he navigated through the castle's cavernous halls until he found his parents' room. Making sure that the coast was clear, he stealthily slipped inside. Fortunately for him, neither his father nor his mother were around, so it was easier for him to sneak around._

 _He crept over to the vanity where the queen's jewelry box sat. Opening hit, he was greeted by a wide assortment of ornaments and precious gems, glinting in the dim lamplight. However, there was no time for him to browse through the gems; his parents could enter the room at any moment, and he was certain that they would be less than pleased if they saw a bird making off with one of the family jewels._

 _Without hesitation, he snatched up a ruby pendant by its thick, gold chain before heading back to the chimney. But because he was being encumbered by the heavy jewel, exiting from his original entry point proved to be too difficult a task, so he had to find an alternate route. Using his beak, he lifted the window latch and pushed at it with all his might until it creaked open._

 _The weight of the pendant made the return journey a bit more difficult, but he spurred on as thought of the sick child and her distraught parents. He barely made it back to his destination when he felt his exhaustion overwhelm him, making him pass out into a dead faint._

* * *

 ** _Hours later…_**

 _A happy crow roused Hans from his blackout and he found himself being squished in a pair of arms._

 _It seemed that the girl had found his gift._

 _"Did you bring this? Where did you find it? Is this for me?" she chattered, bombarding him with a barrage of questions. Her arms constricted tighter still as she enveloped Hans into a tight hug, thanking him profusely all the while._

 _'_ Is she trying to kill me _?' He choked and gagged as he tried to squirm out of her grip, but she paid him no heed. Eventually, she did let go before running downstairs to show the trinket to her family._

 _Though he was disheveled and bedraggled after the ordeal, Hans still managed to crack a smile, pleased that at least the girl's story would have a happy ending._

* * *

The Firebird roused to warmth of the morning sun streaming through the windows. He yawned, blinking a few times, only to realize that he was lying in a bed – Elsa's bed.

' _Oh no_ …'

He was really going to hear it from her now. He knew how Elsa valued her personal space and he had made a promise to respect her privacy, so to have him lying in her bed, of all places, simply spelled trouble. He never even intended to break his vow in the first place; it just so happened that he had just finished the paperwork and was eager to show it to Elsa when he passed out from fatigue.

But just then, he noticed that he had a blanket draped over him, and that Elsa herself was nowhere to be seen.

' _Could it be_?' he pondered, ' _Could it be that she does care_?'

When he thought about it, it did make sense… After all, she did go out in foul weather just to look for him, so perhaps there was some hope for their relationship after all.

Once he was sufficiently awake, the Firebird left the room to look for Elsa. Knowing her workaholic nature, he began his search in her study, only to find it empty. ' _I wonder where she is_ …' he mused. Just then, his stomach growled. ' _I suppose I could resume my search after a bit to eat_ …' he decided.

He made his way towards the dining room, only to find Elsa already seated at a table laden with a breakfast spread for two.

"It's quite unlike you to sleep in," she quipped, by way of greeting. "Nonetheless, I hope you were able to rest well."

The Firebird merely stared, caught off guard by her sudden amicability.

"Well?" the queen prompted, gesturing to the empty chair in front of her, "Aren't you going to join me?"

"Isn't this a surprise?" he replied rather snippily, "If I recall, you mentioned that you didn't want to be in the company of a dumb animal, so why the sudden change of heart?"

"Yes, about that…" Elsa began, looking quite contrite, "I just want to apologize for saying all those horrible things to you. I really stepped out of line, considering I, of all people, should know what it's like to be belittled for circumstances beyond my control. You did not deserve to be treated that way, and if there was a dumb animal, that would be me because of how I treated you."

"I agree…" said the Firebird, making her wince, "However, I wasn't exactly blameless either…" His gaze softened. "You were already in a difficult position, and I just kept pressuring and teasing you, never taking your feelings in account. By all means, it was very insensitive and inconsiderate of me, and I shouldn't have acted that way in front of you. You are royalty of the highest order, and given your standing, I should have behaved accordingly."

"To tell you the truth, I don't really mind if you tease me a bit," Elsa replied, sheepishly twiddling her spoon. "Other than Anna and Kristoff, only you have ever had the courage to treat me like a regular person."

"That may be so," said the Firebird, nodding, "But my approach wasn't exactly proper. I promise I'll try to tone it down a bit."

"Alright then," said Elsa with a nod of her own, "So are we good?"

"Yes," the Firebird said, smiling as he took the empty seat, "We're good."

"By the way, I read your revised proposal," Elsa told him as she lazily stirred her porridge. "You really outdid yourself in listing down the agenda that need to be addressed. I guess you really have had some experience of being a royal adviser."

He shrugged. "You could say it's a part of the job description. As the Firebird, it is my duty to go from kingdom to kingdom and guide the monarch in establishing good governance."

Elsa gasped. "Even in great empires like Britain and Spain?"

" _Especially_ in great empires like Britain and Spain," the Firebird pointed out, "Contrary to what you think, the people do not serve their monarch, but rather the monarch serves his people. It's the subjects' wellbeing that measures the monarch's success."

"You sure do know a lot," the blonde observed with a wistful sigh. "It must be wonderful to be able to explore the world and experience all these wonderful things."

"And you can!" urged the Firebird as an idea crossed his mind. "Have you ever wondered what it's like to fly?"

"To fly?" Elsa echoed. "You mean like you?"

"Yes!" the Firebird replied with a vigorous nod.

"Well-l, as a child, I used to wonder about that," Elsa told him, "But it's silly… If humans were really meant to fly, we would have done so a long time ago."

"But what if I told you that you too can fly?" he asked.

"F-fly? Me!" she squeaked, "Impossible!"

"Au contraire, my dear," said the Firebird, "I think that you should know by now that nothing is impossible if one puts their mind to it. Tell you what, let's meet up in your room after breakfast. There's something I want to show you."

"It's not something dangerous, is it?" she asked, apprehensive.

"Don't worry," the Firebird assured her, "It's perfectly safe. But for now, let's eat."

Once they had polished off their plates, both Elsa and the Firebird then returned to the queen's chambers. "So what is this thing you wanted to show me?" Elsa asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"It's not anything tangible, if that's what you're thinking," the Firebird told her, "But I wasn't joking when I said that you too could experience the joy of flight, and what I'm about to show you can help with that. Now, if you could sit down and hold out your hand, please…"

"O-kay…" she said, wondering where the Firebird was going with this.

Once she was seated, the Firebird then flew over and pressed his head against Elsa's outstretched hand. There was a strange sensation, as if she was being sucked through a tube, and then nothing.

"Ugh, what was that all about?" she moaned, queasy from the ordeal, only to choke back a scream upon seeing her unconscious form slumped on her bed.

Elsa whirled onto the Firebird, her eyes blazing with fury. " _What did you do to me_?" she shrieked. She moved to grab him by the neck, only to pale in horror when she phased right through him. "I-I'm a GHOST!?"

"What? No!" the Firebird exclaimed, looking somewhat miffed at the accusation. "It's an ability of mine– I merely separated your consciousness from your physical body. In layman's terms, you're alive but comatose."

"Well, doesn't that sound reassuring!" Elsa all but screamed. "If this you getting back me at because of what I said before–"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… I would never do anything of that sort!" said the Firebird. "When I said I forgave you, I meant it. What's happening now has nothing to do with yesterday at all."

"So why am I a… … _spirit_ then?" Elsa asked, gesturing to her now-incorporeal body.

"I believe _astral projection_ would be a more accurate term," the Firebird told her, "And if you want to really experience the joy of flight, this is one way that humans could do it; compared to your physical body, your consciousness isn't bound by the limitations of the physical world."

"I suppose that makes sense…" said the blonde, tapping her chin with an elegant finger. Just then, without warning, she leapt into the air.

"Ohh…" she marveled as she found herself floating a few feet above ground, "This is amazing!"

The Firebird smirked. "That's nothing. If you want to really see something amazing, follow me!"

Together, the two of them slipped out the window and soared into the sky. Elsa giggled as she felt the wind caress her as she and the Firebird flitted over and under the clouds. It was a sensation most exhilarating; never had she felt so alive.

"Wow…" she gasped as they passed over the forests, mountains , and valleys; as well as the rivers, lakes, and fjords that surrounded Arendelle. It truly was a sight to behold, and she could see now how it could have inspired the Firebird to make the emerald jewelry set he had given her not too long ago.

But just then, she noticed him slowing down. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing… Just follow me, I have to show you something." The Firebird veered towards the coast, with Elsa following suit. Not long after, they found themselves flying over a small fishing village. It was a dreary-looking place. Its buildings were rundown and shabby, and the residents themselves shuffled about looking more dead than alive. Their faces were pale and gaunt, and their clothes ragged and dirty; and combined with this glazed, defeated look in their eyes, it was clear that these people were barely scraping by.

Elsa could only stare in fascinated horror. Try as she might, she could not tear her gaze away from the suffering below. "Wh-what is this place?"

"Your village," the Firebird replied. "Let's not linger too long; there is still much I must show you."

Village to village, town to town, he showed her everything – peasant folk struggling to make ends meet, hungry children languishing in workhouses and debtors' prisons, and even a little match-girl who was being beaten by her wastrel of a father – the harsh, gritty reality of human suffering that lay beyond the castle walls.

Every time she asked him where they were, he would give the same answer. "Your town, your village," he would say. Even when they had crossed Arendelle's national borders, he would still say the same thing, much the Elsa's bafflement and consternation. It made no sense. She was the queen of _Arendelle_ , beyond that she had no jurisdiction.

"Enough!" she cried, exasperated. "These are not my towns nor are these my villages! This isn't even Arendellian territory. In case you forgot, I only rule over Arendelle and nothing more!"

"That's not true."

Elsa furrowed her brows in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

"That's not true," he repeated. "You're more than just that. Yes, you are Queen Elsa of Arendelle, but with that comes many more lands and titles – duchess, princess, heiress – but most importantly, you are the queen of a united Norway. You are more than just Arendelle. You have spend so much time there that you have forgotten the rest. These people are your people, and they need a strong leader now more than ever. I fear that if something is not done soon, then everything will be lost."

"But what can I do?" she stressed.

"You must take charge," he said, his tone warm and encouraging. "You are the queen of Arendelle, it's time that you accept the powers and responsibilities that come with it. And don't forget… You are not alone. I'm willing to help you, that is, if you'll let me."

For a moment, Elsa was silent, unmoving even, but slowly she nodded. "Very well, I trust you…" she said, "I just hope–"

"Worry not, dear Elsa for I never go back on my word," the Firebird told her, "What I promised you that day… …when I said that I would help you rule… I meant every single word of it, and I intend to keep it so."

"Thank you…" she smiled, grateful for his encouragement and support.

"It's going to be bitter work," the Firebird went on, "But I'm confident that together, we can heal the land."

"Sounds like a plan," Elsa agreed, "Lucky for you, I've always liked a challenge."

"Glad we can come to a consensus," he quipped, earning a playful smirk in response.

 ** _Beta and cover image: Nightrain and Brownstone_**

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Seems that Elsa and Firebird/Hans did a truce. That is a good place to start if you ask me. :) Any way I**_ _ **hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review to tell me what you all think of it and stay tuned for the next one. :)**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Any way, welcome to a brand new chapter of the firebird, in this one we will see more of what's going on in Elsa's mind as this is her story for the most part, it is complicated as it is hard being a queen, sometimes that makes making decisions even harder for sometimes what seems right at first is not always right. But it might lead to either a huge character development or a huge disaster... I am not saying which of the two.**_

 _ **For now please enjoy this latest chapter and please review when done as again I love to hear your opinions and so forth.**_

* * *

Ever since the excursion and their talk together, the relationship between Elsa and the Firebird had improved considerably. He had become less sarcastic towards her, and she, less dismissive towards him. As time passed, the barrier between them gradually dissipated, and eventually, they grew to trust and respect each other.

Encouraged by the Firebird, Elsa began to step out of the castle more often and explore her kingdom. She did her best to interact with her subjects and take part in public functions. And wherever she went, the Firebird would follow. It was a sight most peculiar – the queen of Arendelle parading in her carriage, all the while accompanied by a strange yet magnificent bird with resplendent feathers of red and gold.

And whenever anyone would ask her about her "pet", she would simply shake her head and say that the Firebird was not a pet but her fiancé.

Although hearing such words made the Firebird immensely happy, he could not help but wonder if Elsa was merely forcing herself to say it. They were definitely spending more time together, and it was clear that a genuine friendship had blossomed between them, but could Elsa ever feel for him what he truly felt for her? His future sight seemed to indicate "yes", but as some details were obscured, even that could not really dictate the final outcome of their romance.

Still, it couldn't hurt to hope. The budding amity he shared with Elsa was definitely a step up from the mercurial relationship they had before, and if H.C. had been here to witness it, he would have definitely encouraged Hans to nurture that friendship.

' _That old romantic_ ,' he mused, chuckling lightly at the memories of his very first friend…

* * *

 ** _The Southern Isles, years ago…_**

 _After helping out the sick girl and her family, Hans once again resumed his quest to return home. He flew as fast as he could, eager to make his way back to Westergaard Castle. He had to talk to Lars. If anyone could help him break the curse and resume his original form, his best chances lay with the bookish third prince who had a keen interest in history and the occult._

 _As his stamina had not quite recovered from his previous sojourn, he soon found himself losing altitude. Fortunately, a chimney was within sight, and it was as good a place as any for a quick rest stop. However, he was descending far too quickly and he wound up overshooting the chimney rim._

 _Hans could feel his bones rattling as he tumbled down the chimney chute for the second time in twenty-four hours. Worse still, compared to the well-maintained castle chimney, this one was absolutely filthy, caking him in soot and ash._

 _He landed on an ash heap with one final yelp, catching the attention of that room's occupant – a lanky, young man in his late teens._

 _"Who's there?" he called, poking his head into the fireplace. Just then, he spotted Hans squirming on the ground. "Hmm…? A bird?" he murmured, scooping him out of the ash heap. "How odd…"_

 _'_ Wonderful… Out of the frying pan and into the fire _…' Hans grumbled, silently praying that the young man had no intention of keeping him as a pet, or worse, turn him into food. Given how skinny the youth was, it would be no surprise if he chose the latter option. Not wanting to be served as dinner, Hans immediately began flapping with all his might, even going as far as to peck the young man's fingers._

 _"Hey! Ow!" he yelped as he swallowed his pain to hold on to the struggling birdling. "Hold still you crazy bird!" With quick decisive steps, he strode over to his desk and set Hans down._

 _"You know, for such a little bird you sure do have a lot of energy," the youth remarked, poking Hans in the stomach, much to the latter's annoyance. He did not like being poked and prodded at as if he was some kind of unnatural oddity._

 _"And I have just begun to fight!" Hans declared, only to realize that he had committed a grave error. He immediately snapped his beak shut, but it was too late. The youth's expression quickly shifted from that of amusement to that of abject terror._

 _"Gah! Demon bird!" he cried, scrambling backwards as he frantically reached for anything that could be used as a weapon._

 _"Wait! Wait!" Hans called, "I'm not a demon – Yee-ow!" He ducked, barely dodging the book the man threw at him._

 _"S-stay back! I'm warning you," the man sputtered, brandishing a battered, cast-iron frying pan. "I've got a skillet and I'm not afraid to use it!"_

 _"And I'm telling you, I'm not a demon bird!" Hans repeated. To prove his point, he shook the soot off his body, revealing the vibrant red and gold feathers._

 _The young man hesitantly lowered his makeshift weapon, but remained wary nonetheless. "So what are you then?" he asked, "Given how you can speak, you are certainly no ordinary bird."_

 _"It's a long story," Hans replied, sighing, "And even if I told you, I don't think you'd believe me… Why, I don't even know what kind of bird I am."_

 _"Even so, you seem to be quite the specimen," said the young man, his curiosity getting the better of him. "I've never seen anything quite like it." Bit by bit, he drew closer. "Say, you don't mind if I take a closer look, do you? I have some books on birds that might help us figure out what you could be."_

 _"That's fine," Hans answered, "As long as you don't poke at me again."_

 _"Sounds fair… …erm…?"_

 _"Hans," the bird-prince supplied._

 _The young man gave a low whistle. "Well, isn't that a coincidence? My name is Hans too – Hans Christian Andersen. But my friends usually call me H.C."_

 _"The up-and-coming author?" Hans squeaked, "Oh, I've heard so much about you! People say you're one of the few who were foolhardy enough to insult the King and Queen of the Southern Isles with your less-than-flattering review of Westergaard Castle."_

 _"Well, it's the truth," H.C. said with a disgusted sniff as he put the frying pan back in its rightful place. "Something's just not quite right with the place, and even looking at it gives me this sense of foreboding." He then grabbed a pitcher of water and poured its contents into a chipped bowl. "Here," he said, pushing the bowl towards Hans, who stared at it curiously._

 _"What's this for?" he asked._

 _"To wash up, of course," H.C. told him, "There's still a lot of soot on you."_

 _"Oh… Thank you."_

 _While Hans washed off the remaining dirt and ash, H.C. went over to the bookshelf and picked out several tomes. "Peculiar indeed," he murmured, thumbing through the pages. "You don't seem to resemble any of the European species listed here. Is it possible that you could be from a land far away?"_

 _"I'd hate to disappoint, but I'm a South Islander, born and bred," Hans replied, shaking his now-clean feathers dry. "I'm just about as European as they come."_

 _"Maybe, you're an undiscovered species of hawk or eagle," H.C. suggested._

 _"At this size and color?" Hans scoffed, "Doubt it…"_

 _"And with those claws and beak, a songbird you're not," H.C. pointed out. He opened yet another book. "Not a passerine, not a raptor… Just what on earth are you…?"_

* * *

A frustrated cry startled the Firebird out of his reverie and brought him back to the present. It sounded like Elsa. He sighed.

' _I told her not to overexert herself_ ,' he grumbled. ' _When will that girl ever learn_?'

* * *

"Ugh!" Elsa rubbed at her temples in frustration. Lately, the Firebird had been occupying her thoughts, making it difficult to properly focus on her work. While she had come to appreciate his company, she could not help but feel a strong sense of unease at the very thought of them being husband and wife. Moral issues aside, there was the fact that they were of two completely different species, making the possibility of heirs completely moot.

However, she also could not say that he was completely undesirable. He had been nothing but helpful, and his advice was indispensable. Because of him, she had learned to open up her mind, to be more adventurous, and to take risks and broaden her horizons. Had he been human, she most definitely would not have any objections on their union.

' _If only_ …'

"Ever heard of taking a good night's sleep? I heard it could do wonders."

Elsa glanced up to see the Firebird smirking at her as he dropped a sheaf of papers onto her desk.

"The same could be said of you," she retorted lightly, casting him a dry look as she took the proffered documents. "After all I'm not the one who works all the way into daybreak."

He shrugged. "I did say it was bitter work. So, what do you think of this proposal on public education and the regulation of child labor?"

"Not too shabby," she remarked as she skimmed over the writings. "If I didn't know any better I would say that you were born to lead."

"No one is born to anything," said the Firebird, "We learn and gain skills by experiencing life. These experiences then influence our thoughts, our goals, and even our personalities, until it molds us into who we are today." He yawned. "Anyway, I'll be turning in for the night, and for the sake of your health, I suggest that you do the same."

"Wait!" Elsa called, stopping him in mid-flight.

"Yes, what is it?"

The young queen could feel her heart racing a mile a minute. The imminent future of becoming the Firebird's wife still did not quite sit well with her, but she _had_ promised to wed him. And even if he was a bird, even if she harbored no romantic feelings towards him, she truly appreciated his company. Then again, in retrospect, any marriage built on platonic love and mutual respect was clearly a better option than a loveless one to some arrogant princeling who only wanted her for her wealth and status.

It was now or never. She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Slowly, she lifted the lid to reveal a simple gold band adorned by a solitary gem. "I know it's rather plain and it isn't much, but it's special to me," she mumbled, her slender fingers fiddling with the box. "It was my father's after all," she added as an afterthought.

The Firebird could not believe his eyes. "You don't mean–"

The blonde nodded. "You have given me a most beautiful ring and more, so it's only fitting that I do the same." With gentle hands, she took his left foot and slipped the ring onto his middle toe. "Well I'll be…" she quipped, smiling playfully at him, "It actually suits you."

"Oh Elsa…" The Firebird was practically beside himself with joy. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice shaky with sheer elation, "I shall treasure it always. And know that if I ever lose this ring, it will not be out of my own free will."

"As you are my husband-to-be, I trust that you won't," she said, inwardly tamping down the bile rising to her throat as she uttered those words.

The Firebird beamed. "For someone as lovely and gracious as you to become my wife, I really am the luckiest fellow in the world."

"Thanks…" She smiled again, but this time it did not quite reach her eyes. Already, she could feel the guilt gnawing at the pit of her stomach.

She hated the idea of leading the Firebird on – she really did, as she had come to see him as a dear friend. But at the same time her betrothal was key for the security of her royal claim and the betterment of her country. This agreement was supposed to be a win-win situation, so why did she feel like everyone just lost?

* * *

 ** _A few days later…_**

"And one, two, three… One, two, three…" said the Firebird as he guided Kristoff and Anna through the steps of yet another court dance. In order to prepare him for his debut into high society and endear him to the other nobles, Elsa had recommended that Kristoff should, at the very least, take up some activities that were enjoyed by the aristocracy. So far, the result of every attempt had been mediocre at best.

"Good job, you two!" the Firebird commended, once the song ended. "There's definitely been an improvement in your form."

But instead of looking happy, Kristoff and Anna exchanged concerned glances before turning their attention back to him.

"Are you sure?" inquired the princess, "Because I must've tripped several times, and Kristoff wouldn't stop stepping on my toes throughout the dance."

"Sorry…" Kristoff mumbled sheepishly. "But Anna has a point" he added, turning to face the Firebird. "You've been rather out of it these last few days."

Green eyes blinked. "Oh. I guess I have been somewhat preoccupied…"

" _Somewhat_?" Kristoff began, only to be elbowed into silence by his fiancée.

"Nonetheless, I apologize," said the Firebird as he followed the duo towards the sitting room for their afternoon tea.

"By the way," Anna piped up, eyeing his toe. "I couldn't help but notice a little something– Is that what I think it is?"

"Oh, this?" he asked, gazing at the ring with a tender, love-struck smile. "It's Elsa's betrothal gift. Do you like it?"

"It's lovely," she replied, "But this is pretty big news, considering this is _Elsa_ we're talking about."

He cocked his head, staring at her confusedly. "What do you mean?"

"If you've noticed, Elsa isn't exactly one to let just anyone close," Anna explained. "In fact, it took her the better part of two months just to warm up to Kristoff, so for you to be able to get so close to her in such a short span of time is nothing short of a miracle.

"And then there's the matter of _that_ ," she went on, pointing at his ring. "Between the two of us, Elsa has always been the closest to Papa, so if you're wearing _his_ ring, that means she's accepted you as her husband!"

Kristoff raised his brow. "Wasn't that already a given when Elsa announced her betrothal to him?"

"No, no!" Anna clarified, waving her hands frantically, "You don't understand… When Papa gave her that ring on her eighteenth birthday, he made her promise to give it to her husband-to-be, and to him alone."

"I didn't know that," said the Firebird, lifting his claw, the jewel twinkling as he did. "Well, that just gives me an even stronger reason as to why I shouldn't take it off."

It was as plain as day that the Firebird really loved Elsa It was evident in how he spoke to her, cared for her, supported her, and even how he looked at her. Any other woman would be have the devil's luck to have her fiancé dote on her so, so Elsa was really blessed in that aspect.

But at the same time, Anna could not help but worry for them both. As nice as Elsa's gesture was, the younger Solberg could not help but wonder if her older sister was being completely sincere. She loathed to think of Elsa as anything but, but something did not quite add up. Not too long ago, she had been vehemently and vocally opposed to the idea of marrying a bird, so why was she suddenly changing her tune?

Then again, it was also quite possible that Elsa was finally starting to develop some feelings towards the Firebird, as evidenced by their growing friendship. And given how much effort he had put in the courtship, it was only a matter of time until he broke through her defenses and reached her heart.

' _So which is it_?' She glimpsed over at the Firebird, who was now laughing with Kristoff over some unknown joke. He looked so lighthearted, so hopeful that even the mere _suggestion_ of Elsa faking her love could prove to be a devastating blow. She lightly chewed her lip. ' _Elsa… For his sake and yours, I really hope that you do mean this gesture_.'

 ** _To be continued..._**

 ** _Beta and cover image: Nightrain and Brownstone_**

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Things are getting more and more intense as events will be more serious from this point on. What will happen? I cannot say for it will be a huge spoiler.**_

 _ **I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter, please stay tuned for the next one and please leave a review as your opinions and comments are most helpful and appreciated.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Any way, welcome to a brand new chapter of the firebird.**_

 _ **I hear your opinions, but I have to explain, like I said before Anna has a reason, it will be explained in this chapter and no, neither Hans or Anna believe Elsas action is genuine. As for what going on, if you ignore the whole firebird, the whole reluctant bride, being forced to marry and such, sadly it was the norm during that time, even when you were a queen you did not have a choice. Also in this story Elsa became queen immediately after her parents died, not like in the movie, this gave the council more power over her so this is expected sadly...**_

 _ **Oh and as for Guest, I am very fine, thank you for asking, just have been working hard as real life interfered, keeping me from writing.**_

 _ **I will say more, but it would spoil this chapter...so for now please enjoy this latest chapter and please review when done as again I love to hear your opinions and so forth.**_

* * *

By the time December rolled in, all of Arendelle was in a festive mood as the people began to prepare for Jul and St. Lucia's Day, and the sight of freshly fallen snow only served to amplify their holiday spirit and good cheer.

However, not everyone shared these happy sentiments, and one such person was none other than the Duke of Weselton. He fumed as he paced in his lavishly furnished office, his mood blacker than coal. Despite his plots, schemes, and Machiavellian manipulations, all of his attempts to marry Elsa off his nephew, the Crown Prince of Denmark, had not progressed at all, no thanks to a certain bird.

Yes, it had been the queen herself who had indirectly proposed the arrow challenge that had led to her betrothal with the Firebird, but even then, the Duke had expected that she would break it off immediately. Yet, she had done no such thing and had now even befriended that thrice-damned creature.

But what rankled him the most was how the Firebird had overcome the odds to complete the nobles' challenge. Up to this day, he could not make any heads nor tails on how a bird managed to create not one, but _four_ sets of exquisite jewelry all in the span of a single night.

"Blast it, confound it!" the Duke snarled, slamming his fist against the hardwood desk. "That accursed bird is fast becoming a thorn in my side. Something needs to be done before my grand scheme is thwarted for good!"

He was in a tight spot indeed for he knew that he was dealing with no ordinary bird. And in a way, the Duke could sense a kindred spirit within the fiery avian, for like him, the Firebird would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. To counter it, he had to devise another task, this one even more impossible than the last.

But what?

Just then inspiration struck. Hanging on the wall opposite to him was a portrait of Elsa's parents, which had been given to the Duke as a thank-you gift for his role in arranging their marriage. In it, both the Arendellian king and queen were dressed in all their finery, and like many other royals of the day, they wore their crowns as a show of status and affluence.

The old man's lips stretched into an ugly grin. "Yes… Crowns… That should work quite nicely…" Immediately, he summoned his secretary. "Send word to Queen Elsa expressing my request for a _private_ audience," instructed the Duke. "There's something I need to discuss with her."

Back in Arendelle, the castle was brimming with activity, even more than usual. Castle staff could be seen carrying boughs and wreaths of holly, decorating fir trees with ribbons of colored tinsel, and making colorful candles as they worked day and night to deck the halls, and Yuletide carols could be heard faintly echoing through the corridors as the royal musicians rehearsed tirelessly.

However, despite the merry atmosphere, the Firebird was not that eager in joining in. It wasn't that he detested the concept of Jul, but given his own experience with his family, he tended to forgo the more social aspects of the festivities and hide away until the holidays had passed. Already, he had retired to the older, more secluded parts of the castle, only appearing to dine with the Royal Sisters, much to their confusion.

Today he had been exploring the castle's upper corridors when suddenly, a will-o-the-wisp appeared, followed by another, and yet another. Very soon, the Firebird was surrounded by a swarm of fairy lights.

"We're bored…" they chorused. "Let's play a game!"

"Guys…" he shushed. "Not here! We'll be discovered!"

But the mischievous faeries paid him no heed. They drew closer, crowding around him. One particularly brave wisp even dared to pull him by his talons. However, it just so happened that it was gripping him on the very ring that Elsa gave him. The trinket slid out of his claw and landed on the carpeted floor, and before the Firebird could even react, they swept it up and began passing it around, keeping it barely out of his reach.

"Catch us if you can!" they called.

"Hey! Give it back!" he cried, chasing after them. "Come back here, you!"

"Uh-oh! Too slow!" The ring veered sharply in all directions as the wisps delighted in their mad dash to avoid the incoming Firebird, but then, one of the wisps made a critical mistake and soon found itself cornered.

"Ha! Gotcha!" crowed the Firebird, wheezing from exertion. He stuck out his left talon expectantly. "Now… Put. It. Back."

The wisp shuddered as it shifted its gaze from the unamused Firebird to the expectant stares of its fellow wisps and back. On one hand, it knew that the game had ended and that it was time to return the ring to its rightful owner. Then again, it also had no desire to be the wet blanket that ruined everyone's fun. Just then, it noticed that the door behind it had a small crack from where it met the floor. Without hesitation, it shoved the ring into the cracked and promptly vanished with its companions, giggling madly all the while.

"Real mature, you guys!"

Furiously grumbling under his breath, the Firebird shifted into his human form to open the door only to find it locked. "Really?" he sighed exasperatedly. He slipped off his glove and held onto the knob and he channeled some heat into it. Once it was sufficiently heated, he promptly kicked the door open, breaking the lock in the process.

He stepped inside only to be assaulted by the smell of dust, making him sneeze, but he soldiered on, regardless. As he bent down to pick the ring up, he was suddenly bombarded by a series of visions.

He could see them – a pair of little girls that he recognized as Elsa and Anna happily playing with their dolls, shrieking with laughter as they raced down the halls, and sneaking out in the middle of the night to build a snowman. Then suddenly, the visions changed. The atmosphere now felt heavier, more somber. He could see Anna wandering the same halls that she once frolicked, looking sad, bored, lonely. And of Elsa, only an aura of sorrow and regret hidden behind a locked door.

' _This is becoming quite the mystery_ ,' he muttered, frowning. Just what exactly had transpired all those years ago for the Arendelle royals to retire from the public eye and ultimately destroy what should have been a relatively normal childhood through thirteen years of isolation?

Just then he was alerted by the sound of someone approaching. Instinctively, he changed back into his avian form and ducked behind an old wardrobe.

The footsteps drew closer. "Huh? When was this open?" said a voice, Anna, judging by the sound of it. Gingerly, she poked her head in. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Just me…" said the Firebird softly as he emerged from behind the wardrobe, his feathers glowing brightly in contrast to the shadows that hung in the dusty old room.

Anna sighed. "Was it really necessary to hide like that?"

"My apologies. But to be fair, I thought you were someone else."

She shut the door behind her. "That's not what I meant."

"Oh…" He averted his gaze, not wanting to meet her eyes.

"What were you doing in here anyway?"

"Trying to get my ring back," the Firebird replied, lifting his now-bare talon "It slipped off my claw and rolled in here. Mind if you give me a hand?"

"Sure," the princess obliged. She picked up the ring and slid it back onto his middle toe. "But just so you know, I meant what I said. it isn't right that you're hiding your human form like that. It isn't fair to you, and it especially isn't fair to Elsa."

"You know I have my reasons."

"But to _lie_!?" she asked, her voice pained with guilt. "Firebird, I've come to see you as a dear friend, even as a brother perhaps, but believe me when I say this is a very bad idea. Do you remember what I told you on the night we met?"

He smiled wryly. "How could I not?"

* * *

 _The Princess Anna was on the warpath as she stormed down the hall in search of Elsa's fiancé, determined to give him a few choice words. While she understood the nature of the queen's challenge, it was supposed to have been foolproof, structured to the advantage of both royal sisters; and yet here was a talking bird who had shown legitimate proof to win Elsa's hand. A bird! Her cherished older sister was to be wed to a bird!_

 _'_ Those busybody council geezers, poking their noses everywhere _!' she fumed. '_ Why can't they just let us be _?'_

 _"I can see that you're upset, but I would very much appreciate it if you would stop stomping about. It's not quite becoming of a lady of your caliber."_

 _Upon hearing the voice, Anna bristled with rage. "You!" she snarled, pointing threateningly at the Firebird. "How dare you!"_

 _"I beg your pardon?"_

 _She stalked over to him. "You know what I'm talking about! I know my sister had promised to marry whoever found her arrow, but she never promised to humiliate herself by marrying a bird!"_

 _"Look you misunderstand," said the Firebird, "I only have her best interest in mind."_

 _"That's a crock of dung and you know it!" shouted the princess. "In fact, what could you possibly offer that no human suitor could?"_

 _"My undying love and fidelity," he replied, unfazed by her use of strong language._

 _"Quit it with the selfless act!" she snapped, "It doesn't suit you. So which is it– her throne or her money?"_

 _"Neither," answered the Firebird. "She could be a penniless peasant, and I would still love her, regardless. All I want is your sister's companionship. I truly love her with all my heart and I want nothing more than to grow old with her."_

 _"How can you say that you love her?" Anna pressed on. "Up until today, the two of you have never even met!" And it was a valid point, too. As impressed as she was with his devotion, at the end of the day, the Firebird was still a stranger, and as Kristoff and Elsa had so often warned, nothing good could ever come from marrying a stranger._

 _"Do you believe in fate?" the Firebird asked._

 _"Uh… Yes?" Anna replied, baffled by the odd query. "But what does that have to do with Elsa?"_

 _"Everything, actually," the Firebird replied, "For you see, we were fated to meet, fated to love, and fated to wed."_

 _The princess crossed her arms. "As if that could really happen," she scoffed. "In case you haven't noticed, Elsa is human, and_ you _are not."_

 _"And what if I could prove you wrong?"_

 _She raised a brow. "Wait, what!?"_

 _Without warning, a column of flame burst out nowhere, enveloping the Firebird in its fiery curtains. Anna could only watch in horror as she watched the flames consume his form. Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the conflagration subsided and a tall, humanoid figure, his features concealed by a hooded cloak, stepped forth. In one swift motion, he yanked the hood off, revealing a face – a human face._

 _He was comely, gorgeous even – with chiseled features defined by a strong jawline and high cheekbones framed by a well-groomed coif of auburn hair. However, his most striking attribute were his eyes with their rich verdant shade and piercing gaze not unlike–_

 _"F-firebird?" Anna managed to choke out._

 _He nodded._

 _"Good God…" she gasped, pale with shock. But as she put two and two together, she realized that this man had lied about his identity. His abilities pegged him as a shapeshifting warlock, making him quite dangerous. And worst of all, he was her sister's fiancée and her future brother-in-law._

 _She could feel her fight-or-flight instincts kicking in; and in one decisive move, her fist connected with the man's cheek, knocking him to the ground. "If you think I'll let you anywhere near Elsa now, you're sadly mistaken!" she shouted. "Your magic may give you an edge, but it'll be a cold day in hell before I let you hurt my sister!"_

 _"I would never do such a thing!" he declared as he picked himself up, nursing his aching jaw, "I would rather die than hurt a single hair on her head. I swear on my life that I do love your sister. All I ever wanted was to help her and see her smile."_

 _The bird-man said this with such conviction that Anna was almost inclined to believe him. Almost._

 _"Nevertheless, you lied by withholding the truth," she pointed out, "So how can I be so sure to that you aren't lying now?"_

 _"Perhaps this will convince you, then." No sooner than the man spoke, the air began to surge with a strange, otherworldly energy as it slowly converged on the man's outstretched hand. Bit by bit, it built substance, culminating into a small ruby pendant that rested in the middle of his palm._

 _"This is my soulstone, the physical embodiment of my life-force," the man explained. "For as long as it remains whole, I will be in perfect health, but if its glow begins to dim, then I am either sick or wounded. And should it ever shatter, it would result in my permanent death."_

 _"Permanent death?" the princess echoed.._

 _"Yes," he affirmed. "As the Phoenix, I am locked in a perpetual cycle of death and rebirth, but if my soulstone ever breaks, the cycle would end, and I would die, never to rise up again."_

 _He pressed the jewel into Anna's hand. "As proof of my word, my soulstone is now yours to keep. Should I break my vow in any way, you have every right to shatter it."_

 _"No way… You can't be serious…" she gasped, staring at the pendant sitting so innocently in her hand. "STOP TRYING TO FOOL ME!" In a fit of pique, she hurled the pendant down, and it hit the floor with an audible thud; but what Anna did not expect was for the mystery man to go down as well._

 _Blue eyes widened in horror as she watched him writhe on the floor, his face contorted in a mask of agony. Already, his lower lip was beginning to bleed as he bit into it just to keep himself from screaming out in pain._

 _Immediately, she rushed to his side. "I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!" she squeaked as she helped him up. "Please don't be seriously hurt!"_

 _Despite the intense pain, the man still managed to grin at her. "So? Do you still doubt me?"_

 _"Cheeky jerk..." she huffed, slapping him upside the head, in turn, eliciting a yelp of protest. Carefully, she picked up the ruby pendant she had so callously discarded before. "To make such a sacrifice for the sake of love…" she whispered, clasping the jewel tightly. "You have to be the craziest man that I have ever met!"_

 _He smirked. "What can I say? I love crazy." Then his expression turned serious. "But I meant every single word I said. Elsa means the world to me, and I will do whatever it takes for her to reciprocate my sentiments and help her...even if she will hate me for it at first."_

* * *

"Firebird, I still think you should tell Elsa and show everyone your true form," Anna advised. "She at very least deserves to know the truth."

He smiled ruefully. "I'm afraid I can't do that; it would only complicate matters."

"What is there to complicate?" the princess huffed. "You'd think it'd be a win-win situation considering you're just about as human as everyone else!"

"It's not that simple, Anna!" he rebutted. "Think about what the Folkesthing would do should I ever reveal my human form; they would certainly try everything in their power to use it against you and force you and Kristoff apart."

"But why?" she countered, "Why would they do such a thing?"

"Because I'm not a commoner," he whispered, "Like you and Elsa, I am of royal birth. The moment as those councilmen realize that, they'll use that as an excuse to marry you off to a prince just because your sister is marrying one."

"A p-prince?" she stammered, stunned by this new revelation. "This is just getting crazier and crazier…" She drew closer until they were nose-to-nose. "Firebird, just exactly _who_ are you?"

He turned away, unable to meet her eyes. "I can't say."

"Why not?" Anna pressed on.

"Look, can't we just drop it?" he pleaded, "Which prince I am doesn't matter; what does is your future… Elsa's future… If word of my identity spreads out, the relationship between you and Kristoff would surely be at serious risk."

However, Anna was not easily swayed. "Well, what if you reveal your human form to Elsa alone? I'm sure she'd be able to keep a secret."

The Firebird shook his head. "I can't."

The princess' face crumpled into a deep frown. "What!? And what's your reason this time?"

"Because… Because..." His breath hitched as tears began to well up in his eyes. "Because I'm afraid."

"Afraid?" Anna asked, a lot more gently this time. "Of what? Of Elsa? Sure she'll be mad at first, but even she isn't one to hold grudges. In fact, if you're honest about the circumstances, I'm sure she'll understand."

"No, you don't understand… It's a lot more complicated than that!" Those vibrant green eyes, normally so full of wit and charm, were now glazed with conflict and anguish. "For you see, once two people are bound by fate, their souls become one when their hands are joined in marriage and when that happens not even death could keep us apart. Pure, unconditional love is essential to this bond for without it the bonded souls would become corrupted."

"What do you mean?"

The Firebird sighed. "It's hard to explain, but the best way to describe it is that if the joined souls truly are incompatible, the bond becomes unstable and that's when things get ugly. Anger, resentment, regret… These slowly build up, eating away at any positive emotions that the bond once had, twisting it, warping it until the souls are nothing but a festering shadow of their former selves."

"That's horrible!" Anna gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. "So that means if you and Elsa are incompatible…"

"Yes..." said the Firebird. "So now you know why I can't tell her just yet...I have to know for sure that there is unconditional love...if she cannot see pass my looks then I break the engagement once the trials are over, by then your engagement will be safe and she will be able to rule alone, we will go our separate ways with no ill effects on either part",

"I suppose you have a point, but I still believe that you're overthinking things," the princess told him, "I've learned from experience that love is a gradual, evolving process. I can't speak for Elsa, but I know that she thinks of you as a friend. And who knows? In time, her feelings may change as she gets to know you more. I mean, she already considers you as potential husband material. Papa's ring is proof of that, so don't loose hope just yet!"

"Hope?"

"Yes!" Anna chirped with a vigorous nod. "It's a lot more effective that you think. Back when Elsa and I were kids, we used to be close until The Incident which led to her seclusion. Those were dark, lonely times, but even then I clung to the hope that one day things between her and I could go back to the way they were. So far things have gotten much better since then, so I was thinking that if hope could mend bridges, then maybe it can also link hearts? I mean...You've done so much for her, for me," she continued, "So much so that if I had to choose someone to be my brother-in-law, I'd pick you in a heartbeat."

He smiled, encouraged by her warm words. "Thanks. Likewise I'd pick you to be my sister-in-law too. You're a wonderful sister, Anna… Elsa is really lucky to have someone that cares for her as much as you do."

"Well I know that you care for her just about as much as I do, probably even more," the ginger-haired girl said, smiling back at him. "Anyway, I think we should head back, otherwise Elsa might start worrying."

"You go on ahead," said the Firebird, "I'll just catch up."

"Alrighty then," she said, waving, "See you in a bit."

As Anna left the room and made her way back to the Main Hall, her thoughts drifted back to the conversation she and the Firebird just had regarding Elsa. She truly wanted to believe that Elsa had given him the ring out of love, yet she could not disregard the possibility that the older Solberg merely accepted his suit out of duty.

In an era where pre-arranged betrothals and marriages of convenience were the norm, it was to be expected. Still, Anna truly wished that both her sister and her friend would be able to find true love with each other as she did with Kristoff. The Firebird cared for Elsa just about as much as she did, quite possibly even more; she hated to think that Elsa simply saw him as a means to an end.

'What am I even thinking?' she muttered, 'Elsa would never do such a thing!' But still, she could feel a hint of doubt gnawing at her being, and the only one who could put it at ease was Elsa herself. Perhaps a chat with her was in good order.

 ** _To be continued..._**

 ** _Beta and cover image: Nightrain and Brownstone_**

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Hans and Anna never though Elsa is being genuine, they hope, but do not fully trust. If Hans did believe she was being genuine he would have shown his human form immediately.**_

 _ **There is a lot more going on, there are huge mysteries and you might not see it now, but you all are in for a ride in this story.**_

 _ **Any way, for now I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next one.**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Any way, welcome to a brand new chapter of the firebird and special chapter, lol you can call it Christmas in summer. lol While I congratulate the guest, yes the key to everything is Elsa being true to what she feels... and yes it will be difficult to achieve...as for what the Duke is planning...its a most difficult task as he has a lot to gain if Hans fails his trials.**_

 _ **I will say more, but it would spoil this chapter...so for now please enjoy this latest chapter and please review when done as again I love to hear your opinions and so forth.**_

* * *

A bracing chill could be felt all throughout Arendelle as snow continued to fall throughout the following days. As the temperature continued to drop, people began to stay indoors more often and bundled themselves in thick coats and warm furs whenever they went outdoors. In fact, it had gotten so cold that even the Firebird was forced out of his self-imposed seclusion to face the holidays in the warmer parts of the castle.

But instead of happiness, he only felt dread. Wherever he looked, he only saw the painful reminders of his less-than-idyllic childhood at the hands of his abusers, the horrible times he spent with his family during what was supposed to be a time of innocence and joy, a time when children were supposed to be pampered and indulged.

Because of his abusive upbringing, he had grown up deprived of such pleasures and his holiday experiences had scarred him so much that he had essentially sworn them off for life, leading him to often migrate to the most remote corners of the globe, to places untouched by time.

Suddenly, the Firebird's melancholic thoughts were interrupted when a plate of cookies were thrust into his face, courtesy of Anna. "Want one?" she offered.

"Gah!" he yelped and promptly ducked behind a tapestry.

"Whoa! Are you okay?" Anna asked.

"Er, yeah…" the Firebird replied as he breathed deeply to compose himself. "You just caught me by surprise, is all."

"Oh, sorry about that," Anna said, "I was just wondering if you wanted a cookie." To emphasize, she picked up a gingerbread man and bit its head off. "They're pretty good this year," she added between mouthfuls as she thrust the plate towards him once more, giving him an eyeful of the snacks in question.

As expected of the castle cooks, the cookies were done beautifully – chocolate shortbread, sugar cookies, and gingerbread all cut in a variety of shapes and decorated with festive icing of red, white, green, and yellow. But despite the skillful aesthetic, the very sight of them made the Firebird nauseous.

"Thanks, but I'll pass," he said as he turned his head away.

"Come oooonnnnn… Just one bite!" Anna wheedled, waving the half-eaten gingerbread man in his face. "Live a little, it's the holidays!"

"I-I'm sorry," he stammered, racking his brain for a valid excuse, "But I, uh… …Ihavetogo!" Before Anna could say another word, he took off, leaving her quite perplexed.

' _Well that was new_...' The ginger-haired princess gazed confusedly at her friend's retreating form. She had never seen him act in such an odd manner. Ever since the holiday season began, the Firebird had become quite skittish and jumpy, which was so unlike his normal behavior. Even under pressure, he was always as cool as a cucumber, so to see the normally unflappable avian so unnerved opened a lot of questions.

And then there was the Firebird's reaction upon seeing the cookies. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. Anna took a whiff and took another bite of gingerbread. They tasted perfectly fine, so why did the Firebird react as he did when he was offered one?

' _Did something happen?_ '

* * *

St. Lucia's Day had finally arrived, and that morning, everyone gathered to St. Olaf's Cathedral to attend Mass. After the service, the townsfolk would then proceed to the Palace Square for the Winter Festival, and to close it off, the church bells would be rung to announce the beginning of the Christmas season.

Having taken the mantle of queen regnant since her parents' premature demise, Elsa had presided over the opening ceremonies for the Winter Festival year in year out without fail. However, this year it would be different as her fiancé would be performing the ceremony in her stead. This arrangement was part of the Firebird's plan to help her overcome her near-pathological need for control, and Elsa could not help but feel rather apprehensive.

She smoothed down the white robe she was wearing and adjusted the wreath of candles pinned to her hair. As the eldest daughter of the household, she would be playing the role of St. Lucia as she did every year, but this would be her first time to perform the role in public – as per the Firebird's suggestion to endear her to her subjects.

She still had no idea as to what possessed her into letting him persuade her into this particular arrangement, but she prayed that everything would proceed smoothly.

Just then, she heard the door creak open and she whipped her head to see the Firebird enter the room. For longest while, he simply hovered near the door, his gaze fixed on her waifish figure, making her feel even more self-conscious. Already, she could feel her face heating up from his scrutiny.

"You look beautiful," he murmured, after what seemed like forever.

She turned away, feeling even more bashful than ever, her blush spreading like wildfire. "You're just saying that…"

"I mean it," he said as he glided over to her side and pressed his head against her side. "White looks good on you. I can't wait to see you in a white wedding dress."

"Right…" she mumbled, managing a serene smile in hopes of convincing herself. But inside, she was in turmoil. ' _It's just for show, you don't love him_!' said that nasty voice in the back of her mind. ' _This whole marriage is a sham! But I'm sure it's no skin off your nose. After all, your entire life has been one masquerade after another, hasn't it_?'

As much Elsa wanted to deny it, she knew her conscience was right. She could see that the Firebird was utterly devoted to her, but she felt nothing more than a sense of platonic camaraderie. Despite his merits, she just could not find herself falling for him. But she had made a promise that, if broken, could risk the future of Arendelle itself; so for the sake of her homeland, she had to pretend.

' _It shouldn't be too complicated_ ,' she said to herself. For the longest time, betrothals arranged with the promise of wealth, power, or some other favor that could benefit both parties had been the status quo. ' _But why does it feel so wrong_?'

"…sa! Elsa!"

She snapped out of her daze to see the Firebird peering at her concernedly. "Are you ready?"

"Ah yes, of course," she replied, smoothing down her skirt once more. "Shall we?"

* * *

St Olaf's Cathedral was said to be the oldest medieval church in Arendelle. Even after the populace had converted to Lutheranism during the Protestant Reformation, it still remained in use as the kingdom's primary house of worship.

Taking his place beside Kristoff and Anna, the Firebird marveled at the sight before him. The cathedral's interior was just as imposing as its facade – sculptures and stained-glass windows depicting the timeless tales of the Biblical heroes, bas-reliefs recounting he Fourteen Stations of the Cross, and decorated pillars that showed the dedication of the architects, workmen, and patrons who had given their all to the glory of God.

He peered over his shoulder to see Elsa taking her place among the other white-robed procession participants – the girls wearing holly wreaths much like Elsa's, but without the candles and the boys wearing star-spangled conical hats.

' _Was that how it went_?' he asked himself. It had been so long since he had attended his last St. Lucia's service, and what he could recall was not particularly good...

* * *

 _"Please let me in! I promise to be good!" three-year-old Hans Westergaard begged as he frantically knocked on the cathedral doors. However, there was no response; only the sound of church hymns as his parents, brothers, just about everyone else in the Southern Isles ignored he's pleas and proceeded to celebrate the holidays without him. He knocked harder still. "Please, someone! Anyone!" His voice raised to a plaintive wail as he shivered and he huddled deeper into his sheepskin coat, his only protection against the biting winter winds. "It's cold! Please let me in! Please… …let me… …in…"_

* * *

"Firebird…?"

He blinked and turned to see Anna and Kristoff looking at him with expressions of concern.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked in a hushed voice. "You suddenly got all quiet and stuff."

"I'm fine," the Firebird replied as he forced himself to smile. "Why shouldn't I be?"

"Are you sure?" Kristoff asked, doubt marring his features. "You looked like you were about to faint."

The Firebird opened his beak to reply, but before he could get a word in, the sound of organ music filled the air as the choir began to sing:

" _Now descends the blackest night_

 _O'er the yards and parlors._

 _As the sun has gone away,_

 _The shadows spread their sorrow._

 _But from the darkness,_

 _She arises, with candles all aglow,_

 _Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia_!"

With a quick and sudden flap of his wings, the Firebird dimmed the lights, plunging the cathedral into relative darkness, the only reliable light sources being the lanterns and candles carried by the procession participants.

Soon, the procession began and starting with a little boy, aged around six or seven, dressed like a _tomte_ carrying a lantern, the participants slowly marched down the nave towards the apse. Following him were three older boys wearing brightly-colored robes and crowns carrying star staves. If the Firebird's memory served him correctly, they were supposed to represent the Three Wise Men of the East.

" _The night is dark and silent_

 _Now hear it softly flutter_

 _Quietly, calmly in every room_

 _Whispering like gentle wings._

 _Lo, by the doorway there she stands_

 _Clad in white, haloed in light_

 _Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia_!"

Now, two by two, the Star Lads began to march down the aisle, singing along in bright, clear voices. Close behind them were the holly-wreathed girls, their candles casting a warm glow inside the church as they lit the path for Lucia herself.

" _Darkness has been banished,_

 _From the hills and vales._

 _With wonderful tidings_

 _To us she hails:_

 _A brighter tomorrow will rise again_

 _From the rosy sky…_

 _Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia_!"

And now Elsa as St. Lucia herself joined in, gliding gracefully as she made her way to the apse. The soft glow of the candle flame created a halo of sorts, making her look very much like an angel from Heaven. The very sight of her made the Firebird's heartbeat quicken. With a flick of his wing, he willed the candlelight to burn even brighter, further illuminating those elfin features that had so enamored him.

By the hymn's last verse, the Firebird had the candles spark back to life, bathing the entire congregation in light. It was quite a symbolic gesture too, for not only did the name Lucia mean "light", but it also echoed the very first verse of the Bible, where one of the things in the first day of Creation was the gift of light itself.

"Did you see how those lights were earlier?" Anna gushed once the service was over. "First it was all bright, then it suddenly got dim, and then it got all really bright!" She turned to the Firebird. "That was all you, wasn't it?"

"Well I wouldn't be called the Firebird if I couldn't control something as simple as candle flames now, would I?" he joked.

Anna giggle. "That's true."

"I have to admit, it was a very nice touch," said a new voice.

The trio turned to see Elsa approaching them from behind. She had since then changed out of her costume and was now dressed in a fur-trimmed winter gown. "Everyone in attendance was absolutely enthralled by the light show," she continued, "You really outdid yourself."

"Thanks," he replied. "But this couldn't have been possible without you."

She blinked "Why so?"

"It's because you inspire me," he said. "You, Elsa, are my light."

* * *

In the days leading up to Christmas, the Firebird's already strange behavior had grown all the more erratic, much to the consternation of his friends. He had become quite withdrawn and began to miss his meals to the point where it would be a full day or so before any of the castle's residents would see him again.

The only person to see him on a regular basis was Elsa as they shared the same quarters, and even he was acting rather distant with her. Their conversations had dwindled down to nothing more but a few short exchanges whenever they saw each other at night, and he would usually be gone by the time Elsa woke up the next morning.

"Elsa, I'm worried," Anna spoke up at breakfast on Christmas morning. "What do you could be troubling the Firebird?"

"I can't say…" Elsa told her, "He's been quite tight-lipped lately. Do you suppose he's sick?"

"Doubt it," Anna said, stirring a pat of butter into her porridge. "He doesn't seem to be the sickly type."

The blonde took a hearty sip of her coffee. "Or maybe he just wants to be left alone."

"Well that's no good!" the younger Solberg declared, slamming her palms on the table. "It's already bad enough that he missed the Christmas Gala last night. No one should _ever_ spend their Christmas alone. That's just… … _inhuman_!"

"Anna, it's his decision. I think we should–"

"No!" said the princess, "No friend of ours is going to have a lonely Christmas. Not on my watch!" She dragged Elsa out of her chair and towards the halls. "C'mon, let's go look for him! It's intervention time."

* * *

Up in Arendelle Castle's northeast tower, the Firebird, now in his human form, stared listlessly out the window. He felt a slight pang of remorse for rejecting the sisters' invitation to the Christmas Gala the night before, but his childhood experience with a similar event just kept coming back to haunt him.

* * *

 ** _The Southern Isles, nineteen years ago…_**

 _"Merry Christmas," said a large, solidly-built man as he presented his gift to his wife, the queen. He smirked as she oohed and aahed over new tiara she got._

 _The Jul celebration was in full swing as everyone in attendance ate, drank, and exchanged gifts, chattering happily all the while – everyone, that is except one. Four-year-old Hans quietly sat in a forgotten corner, invisible and unnoticed. Green eyes flickered to a nearby grandfather clock. Eight-o'-clock, it read._

 _'_ Just one more hour _,' he thought to himself. Once the clock struck nine he would be allowed to retire to his bedroom, his only safe haven inside the entire palace. Discreetly, he crossed his fingers, hoping to make it through the night, unscathed._

 _However, it seemed that fate was not on his side that night. "You there! Boy!" the older man barked, pointing at him._

 _Hans felt his stomach drop at the man's harsh tone. Slowly, he turned to stare at the man, praying that he had misheard. Nothing good ever came from being the center of his father's attention, and he was sure that this time would be no different. "M-me, sir?"_

 _"Who else could I be talking to?" the king snapped, "Now do as you're told and get over here!"_

 _Nervously, Hans got up and walked over. Expecting to be punished, it took him every once of courage he had not to shake in fear as his father would get angrier if the young prince showed even a smidgen of weakness. So it was to his pleasant surprise that the king simply handed him a Christmas present. "For you," he mumbled, not even bothering to look at his son._

 _With trembling hands, Hans accepted the gift, but not before thanking his father politely. He carefully unwrapped his present to find a tin of beautifully decorated cookies cut in various shapes such as Christmas trees, stars, snowflakes, and even gingerbread men._

 _Upon seeing this, Hans felt happy tears prick at his eyes. This was the first time his family had ever given him a nice present._

 _"Aren't you going to give them a taste?" prompted Jürgen, the sixth brother. Behind him, the others chuckled._

 _That in itself should have set off the warning bells, but in a combination of sheer joy and childhood naïveté, Hans had chalked it up to them being happy for him. He took a cookie and promptly bit into it._

 _"So… How is it?" Caleb asked._

 _"It tastes rather funny…" Hans told him, frowning a little. "Is this a new recipe?"_

 _"It is…" Rudi piped up. His grin then turned malicious. "…for dog food!"_

 _"And if you are what you eat, then that makes you a dog! Right, Lars?" Runo added, nudging his older brother._

 _"True…" the third prince replied, dismissively taking a sip from his wine flute._

 _At that punch line, everyone in attendance burst into cruel, mocking laughter with no regard at all for the shock of the littlest prince who had dropped the tin at this horrible revelation. The fabricated treats spilled out onto the floor, but Hans did not bother to pick them up. He could feel the bile rising to his throat, and the very sight of those cookies made his stomach churn even more._

 _And Lars… Had he known this whole time? If so, why didn't he warn him? Why wasn't he making an effort to stop them? Why wasn't he doing_ anything _? Already, he could feel his breath hitch and his eyes water,. It hurt so much, not just his humiliation, but also from the sting of betrayal of the one brother who had ever treated him kindly._

 _"Oh look," Caleb sneered, "The baby is going to cry."_

 _That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Without another word, Hans dashed out of the hall and up towards his room, not wanting to give his family the satisfaction of letting them see him cry. Once inside, he locked the door and threw himself on his bed, weeping bitterly._

* * *

Hans felt his eyes well up with tears, which he then quickly wiped off with his palms. He clenched his fist. He had to be strong. He had promised himself that he would give the holidays a chance; but even though many years had passed, the memories of the abuse he had endured was still too much to bear. Still, he could not let his past suffering taint what should be a joyous affair. It wouldn't be fair to the Royal Sisters who had worked so hard to bring good cheer to their subjects.

' _Think happy thoughts… Think happy thoughts_ …' he chanted, focusing his mindscape towards happier times. Learning new things. Helping people. Making new friends. Falling in love. Yes, life had not been to kind to him in the past, but in time, he had been able to meet good people who had been able bring him back from the brink of despair. Agathe, H.C., his friends back in the Underground Realms, Kristoff, Anna, Elsa…

He felt his lips quirking into a light smile. After everything that had happened, things did eventually turn for the better. ' _Maybe_ …' he thought, placing a hand on the glass pane, ' _Maybe, just this once… I could give Christmas a chance_ …'

* * *

"What makes you so sure he's hiding somewhere around here?" Elsa asked as Anna led her through the northeast wing. She suppressed a shiver as they walked down the gloomy corridors. This particular part of the castle was mainly used for storage and therefore rarely frequented, even by the castle residents.

"Just a hunch," Anna replied. "Not to mention that both you and he are a lot more alike than you think."

Elsa stared at her. "Wait, what?"

"Believe me when I say he's just like you, what with all the bottling up your feelings and hiding away and stuff," Anna said, peering into a doorway. "Firebird? Are you there?" she called. No response. "Phooey! Another dead end…"

"I don't think he's here anyway," Elsa said, frowning. "If the Firebird wanted to be found, he'd show up on his own free will."

"Maybe you're right," Anna agreed, discouraged. Her stomach growled. "Let's go back."

But just as they were about to leave, they suddenly picked up the sound of someone singing. It was faint, but still audible if they listened closely enough.

" _Though the winter blows bitter cold_

 _And bright days are done_

 _There's a season we'll soon behold_

 _When we'll all laugh in the sun_."

"Hey, did you hear that?" Anna asked.

"Yes," Elsa replied. "Who do you suppose it is?"

The princess shrugged. "No idea." She turned to her sister, grinning mischievously. "Shall we conduct an investigation?"

Elsa sighed, though her matching grin suggested a different mood. "Lead the way…"

" _Though we danced and sang through the night_

 _Now those nights are gone_

 _Soon there'll come a new morning light_

 _And we'll sing and dance in the sun_."

"What a wonderful voice," Elsa remarked as she and Anna followed the music towards its source. Judging by the increasing clarity of the sound, they were definitely on the right path.

"I know, right?" Anna replied. She leaned forward, trying to listen better. "Say… Have you noticed how our mystery singer sounds a lot like the Firebird?"

Elsa raised a brow at that. "Really? I know he's a bird and all, but he never seemed like the singing type to me."

"Well you'll never know…" said the ginger-haired girl, "He's always had a knack for throwing us out for a loop."

" _Though the fates have torn us apart_

 _And we don't know how or when_

 _With the dawn I know in my heart_

 _We'll be together again_.

" _I've known you a life and a day_

 _But we've just begun_

 _Come with me I'll show you the way_

 _We'll soon live free in the sun_.

" _We'll soon live free in the sun_."

Listening carefully, the sisters followed the sound of music up to the northeast tower. They were very close now with the lyrics and melody becoming clearer still as they drew closer. The traced the song up to a room at the top of the tower, but as they got there, the song suddenly stopped.

Trembling with apprehension, Elsa reached for the doorknob, and in one swift move, she opened the door and stepped inside, only to collide with the Firebird and accidentally knock him on the floor.

"Smooth…" Anna commented, earning her an exasperated glare from her sister.

"Ow…" The Firebird winced as he nursed the area of impact. He blinked confusedly when he saw the sisters reach for him and help him back to his feet. "Thanks…" he said, "Elsa? Anna?"

"Long time no see!" Anna teased. "By the way," she went on, "was that you?"

"Wha–?"

"The singing," she clarified, "Was that you singing?"

"Yes," he replied, "But what are you two doing here? Shouldn't you both be at breakfast?"

"It's Christmas morning, and it didn't seem right that you'd spend it by yourself, so we thought it would be nice if could come downstairs and spend some time with us, even if for a little while," Elsa explained.

The Firebird smirked and drew close to her. "Does my darling wife miss me already?"

The queen flushed. "Stop being so brazen! And in front of Anna no less…"

A loud cough brought their attention back to the younger Solberg. " _Anyway_ , we were looking for you because it's time to open presents!" She said this so brightly that the Firebird could have sworn that the sheer warmth of her smile could bring rival that of the sun. "And as to how we found you, we listened!" She playfully flicked him on the forehead. "How could you have hidden such an heavenly voice?"

He looked away. "I'm not that good…"

"Are you kidding me?" Anna exclaimed, "You're amazing! You have to sing more often."

"So anyway," Elsa cut in, gazing at him expectantly. "About joining us?"

"Sure," he replied, despite his reservations about the gift exchange. "Lead the way, my dear."

* * *

After breakfast, Elsa, Anna, and their respective fiancés then gathered to the sitting room to celebrate Jul in their own special way. It was an intimate affair, just the four of them having fun like how anyone else their age would and should.

"Thanks Kristoff!" Anna beamed as she accepted the beautifully wrapped parcel. She shook it, but heard nothing; however there was a certain weight to it that indicated that the box was not empty. "Ooh… What is it? What did I get?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out," Kristoff replied, laughing.

She playfully stuck her tongue out at him. "Meanie." She peeled off the wrappings and opened the box only to shriek happily at the sight of the new dress she got. It was of a light tea-green shade with ruffled, quarter-length sleeves of cream-colored muslin, and had lilac flowers embroidered onto the outer skirt and bodice.

"It's gorgeous!" she gasped, holding it over her body as she twirled around. "I love it!" she squealed as she hugged Kristoff and smothered him in kisses. "Thank you so much!"

The blond ice harvester blushed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "It's no big deal… I just thought it would look great on you."

"Well it does," Elsa agreed with a light laugh. She turned her attention to Kristoff and passed him a similarly wrapped parcel as well. "And don't think I was going to forget about you."

Thanking her, Kristoff opened it to find a formal suit. It had a brocaded overcoat of the same tea green shade as the dress, a stylish burnt-orange waistcoat, a pair of dark blue pants, and to finish it off, an elegant, yellow cravat. It was a very dashing ensemble which nicely complemented Anna's new outfit, something that the Firebird was quick to notice.

"Matching outfits?" he teased, aware of Kristoff's distaste for formal court dress. "I feel so sorry for you. But to be fair, at least there won't be any dispute that you and Anna are a couple."

Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," grumbled the burly male. "At least I won't be naked, unlike you."

"Oh, that reminds me," Anna piped up, her eyes twinkling vivaciously, "I got a little something for you too!" She handed the Firebird a small, flat box. "Open it!"

Under the expectant gazes of his friends, the Firebird swallowed nervously. It was like his childhood all over again when he thought maybe for once his family could be nice to him, only to have it cruelly subverted in the end. He could still vividly remember the jeering laughter of his brothers when he had eaten those cookies. ' _How could you even think that_?' rebuked his logical side, ' _Anna is your friend! She would never play such an awful trick_.'

Inhaling deeply to calm his jittery nerves, he opened his gift. He stared puzzled at the purple cravat that innocently lay inside.

"When I saw it in the store, I just _knew_ it was meant for you!" Anna chirped. Before the Firebird could even protest, she took the cravat and promptly fixed it around his neck. "Aren't you just _a-do-ra-ble_?" she squealed.

"Oh yes, quite…" he agreed, smiling tightly, mentally glaring at a snickering Kristoff. Even Elsa, his beloved Elsa, was suppressing her giggles in the guise of a rather fake cough. Even so, he genuinely did appreciate the princess' kind and thoughtful gesture.

"Yeah, a regular darling. But at least now I feel much better about wearing a suit," Kristoff quipped. He rolled his eyes at they Firebird's dry expression. "Hey, you started it. What comes around goes around."

"Alright children, that's quite enough…" Elsa laughed, playfully chiding the bickering males. She gently took the Firebird aside and handed him a small box. "This one's for you."

Opening it, the Firebird was surprised to find a small bejeweled brooch. With gentle hands, the young queen pinned it into his cravat. "There," she smiled, admiring her handiwork. "Now you look a tiny bit more kingly."

He stared at Elsa, stunned beyond words. First Anna, and now her… He would be lying if he said he wasn't touched by the sisters' kindness. For the first time in forever, someone had actually made the holidays feel like it was worth anticipating. It would take him some time before he could fully recover from the trauma of the past, but he would be lying if he said that this wasn't the first Christmas that he truly enjoyed.

* * *

 ** _To be continued..._**

 ** _Beta and cover image: Nightrain and Brownstone_**

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Isn't that sweet? There is nothing better than Christmas.:) Oh also before I forget Hans will be mentioning the wedding and such from time to time, but its to see her body language, he knows the truth, but will not say... if he does not manage to get to feel true affections he will give up.**_

 _ **Any way, for now I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next one.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **I apologize for the disappointment, I had this story planned, guess it was not good enough. But no worries! I took your opinions and hopefully the new changes will be great!...Hopefully, if not then your all open to tell me as constructive criticism is always welcomed.**_

 _ **Any way again I apologize and hope this new chapter makes up for the old one.**_

* * *

After Christmas, New Year's Day came and went without much incident. As the months passed, Arendelle slowly began to flourish under the joint administration of Elsa and the flow of external trade had increased, and the national economy had begun to stabilize.

Elsa smiled to herself as she read through the latest reports. It had been six months since the Firebird had begun assisting her, and based on the information she had received, government corruption had steadily been on the decrease, and the social reforms she had implemented were beginning to take root; and it was all thanks to the Firebird.

She had to admit that if he had not given her the motivation and confidence to take on these challenges, Arendelle would still be languishing at the brink of ruin. She glanced over her shoulder to see him diligently sorting the documents by chronological order.

"Break" she heard,

"Pardon?" asked Elsa,

"I was wondering if we should take a break" said the Firebird as he briefly looked out of the bay window towards the palace gardens "Its such a beautiful day, it would be a shame not to enjoy it".

Thinking a bit Elsa realized there was somethings left to do, but it was not urgent and could wait. So getting up from her desk she said "Alright, I see no problem with that".

Giving a small smile Firebird hopped off of the bay window and together they headed out as yes a walk around the palace gardens was going to be enjoyable.

* * *

Walking through the halls quietly Anna was deep in though as she recalled the information the firebird had given her months ago and her promise, in all truth she wanted to tell her sister the truth, she hated having to keep it as she did not like to keep secrets from her sister, then there was the firebird himself and his past.

"Why do you hide?" though Anna as she had decided to take matters into her own hands.

Spotting Gerda Anna stopped her for a moment and asked "Gerda, have you seen the firebird?",

"Firebird? Oh yes, I saw him outside by the palace gardens with Queen Elsa your Majesty" said Gerda.

"Thank you" said Anna before leaving in a hurry as this was the opportunity she had been waiting for.

The discovery of the Firebird being a prince had only served to pique Anna's curiosity to the point that she had begun to develop theories over his true identity; but so far, she had not turned up a single lead. Asking him personally would not yield any results as he was very tight-lipped about that matter and it was evident that this was a subject he did not want to discuss.

Not wasting a minute Anna entered Elsa's room and closed the door behind her, she hated invading her sisters privacy...anybody's privacy really, but she had to as she had to know who exactly the firebird was, who was her sister marrying.

With that in mind she walked to the firebirds makeshift nest and began to look in and around, hoping to find something, anything that would tell her who the Firebird was.

Finding nothing on the nest she turned and gave out a frustrated grunt before she placed everything back, making sure everything was exactly as it was before she turned to leave.

Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something glinting on the ground, hidden underneath an arm chair. Picking it up, she was surprised to find a gilded pocket watch. It wasn't particularly ornate, but it was of fine craftsmanship. At first she wondered if it might have been Elsa's or her fathers, but upon she examined it further she knew it was not as the lid had a rather peculiar decoration that she had never seen before.

Engraved on it was the seal of a bird wearing a crown with its wings spread wide, and below was a proverb inscribed in Danish. "Stille vand har den dybe grunde," it read."Still waters run deep…" Her brow furrowed in puzzlement. "Just what exactly are you hiding?"

With that pocketed the watch and clasped it tightly. 'Well I'm going to find out one way or another,' she vowed, 'Something tells me that you will reveal the answers I seek.' and just as she had entered her sisters room she left it, leaving behind no indication that she had ever trespassed.

* * *

Sunlight played through the gardens of the palace as Elsa and the Firebird walked through just enjoying the day, maybe speaking about one thing or another. Stopping the Firebird flew up into a tree,

"Firebird?" asked Elsa confused only to almost shriek when the Firebird flew down, landing on the ground he held out a nosegay of wildflowers "For you" he said.

Taking them gently Elsa held them, taking a deep whiff at them before saying "Thank you" then pausing she smirked and asked "You were planning this were you not?",

"Maybe?" said the Firebird cheekily,

"You cheeky devil you, your lucky" said Elsa playfully swatting at the firebirds neck,

"Lucky about what?" said the firebird then gushed "Awww do love me" before he walked over and pressed against her leg. Elsa wanted to glare but found herself smiling as she admitted that she did care about the firebird... maybe... she loved him...

"Maybe" being the key word as she knew she had began to care and love him, but what kind of love she was not sure. Walking ahead further into the garden till they arrived at a lake surrounded by trees and shrubbery.

Pausing for a moment she looked and said "I will make a snow man".

Turning the Firebird flew up and sat on a branch of a nearby tree to observe as Elsa moved her hand to make a snowman. Sparks of light blue snow and snowflakes formed and swirled till they formed a nice snowman. When done Elsa stood back and watched, Firebird stared then smirked before he with a movement of his wing melted it.

"Hey!" said Elsa as she turned and glared,

"What? Its an accident" said Firebird looking all innocent.

Saying nothing more Elsa turned and used her snow magic to make another snowman.

When done she smiled till he melted that one, annoyed Elsa turned and said "Will you stop that?!".

"What? You could do better, heck! You could make a whole army of snowman if you wanted" said Firebird.

Elsa frowned then backed away, pressing her hands against one another nervously,

"Will you?" asked Firebird, Elsa looked away,

"Have you ever done something like that?"The Firebird pressed on curiously.

Elsa turned her head not to meet his gaze and said "My powers are dangerous" closing her eyes she could see what happened to her sister...

"No their not" said Firebird,

"How do you know?! You are not a ruler whoes people can kill if they see you as a threat" said Elsa,

"No..." said Firebird but added "but they will never see you as such... you want to know why?", Elsa did not answer but he knew she was listening,

"Because what makes a person a monster is what they do, not what they have" said Firebird "If you ise your magic for good nobody except small minds will see you as a monster".

Elsa remained quiet,

"Come on! Where the feisty warrior queen I know is in there somewhere" said Firebird,

"Fiesty warrior queen?" Said Elsa chuckling,

"Of course! You come from a long line of viking warriors there for deep inside you is a viking queen screaming to get out and show the world what she ks made off" said Firebird.

A small smile spread across Elsas cheeks as she blushed a bit. She would be lying if she said she was not touched by what he said. Also she was surprised that he knew about her ancestry, then again he was her fiance and he seemed to take that role seriously as she had seen him studying the court ways and such.

"I don't know" said Elsa,

"Come on Elsa" said Firebird "Hows about we spar",

"Spar?",

"Of course, a simple spar, me againsg you, fire and ice" said Firebird "Surely you would want to know what would win",

"No and no, were not going to spar" said Elsa as she turned to leave.

Pouting a bit he though then smirked and said "Your right... i mean its very obvious I will be the winner here", that made Elsa stop and said "Excuse me?",

"Its true and by you walking away means that i am more powerful than you" said Firebird,

"That means nothing! I can beat you if I want" said Elsa glaring,

"You can try, but you will fail" said Firebird.

"Never!" yelled Elsa as she threw ice at him which he quickly melted with his flames.

"Is that your best shot? Come on! I have seen amatures that can do better than that!" said Firebird before throwing fire at her which the dodged then threw ice.

They threw and fought but careful not to hurt one another. The compeition making Elsa forget about her fears and reservations as she threw ice and erected walls to protect herself.

At the same time she was impressed, watching the firebird use his magic to fight was very much like watching a dance, there was a kind of grace in his movements as he used his magic to conjure up flames or turn to smoke to dodge her attacks.

Moving she turned to throw ice only to slip and throw it, reacting the firebird beraly dodged as the ice grazed by his wing making him drop to the ground.

"Firebird!" Said Elsa terrified as she stopped and ran over praying he was not hut,

"I am okay!" He said gettig up "I am good!", turning Elsa said "This is why my magic should never be used",

"Elsa... nothing happened" said Firebird then added "Besides... have you never once though about what you can do? Push your limits and test your abilities".

There was silence before Elsa turned and said "no" with that she picked up her skirt and ran away.

"Elsa wait!" called Firebird as he flew after her.

* * *

Seeing Elsa bolt into the palace the Firebird landed into the main courtyard to go into the palace too only to be nearly trampled by an approaching carriage. It was only because of his quick reflexes that he was able to fly up to avoid getting crushed.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" hollered the surly, middle-aged coachman as he sharply pulled the vehicle to a stop.

"I was walking there!" the Firebird shot back. He peered down to see a certain weasel-like duke alight from the carriage, looking like a cat who got the cream. ' _The Duke of Weselton? I wonder what scheme has his hungry little brain cooked up this time_.'

"You'll have to excuse my man, Milord" apologized the Duke. "He's been rather irascible as of late."

The coachman harrumphed at that.

Nodding the Firebird asked "What brings you to Arendelle Castle and what is your business here?",

The Duke took off his monocle and as he cleaned it he said "I am here to see the queen to discuss some very important matters, so if you could kindly let me in–",

"I'm afraid I can't," the Firebird told him, "Only Queen Elsa has the authorization to approve your audience."

"Now, look here!" the Duke growled, his patience beginning to wear thin. "I'll have you know–"

"Ah, Firebird! What are you doing out here?"

All three males turned to see the queen and the princess coming up from the palace entrance.

"Queen Elsa!" crowed the Duke, throwing his hands up in delight. "It's s good to see you again!"

"Likewise, Your Grace," she replied with a curt nod. "So what brings you to Arendelle?"

"As you know, the purpose of my visit is to discuss the nuances of a long-term business proposal between our two nations," explained the Duke.

Nodding Elsa lead the Duke back inside of the palace as they did Anna whispered "Think he is planning something",

"I do not think...I know" whispered Firebird as they entered the palace and the doors closed behind them,

"You will protect my sister?" asked Anna,

"Of course, I made a promise and I will keep it" said Firebird softly,

"And you will tell my sister?" asked Anna, that made the Firebird pause, he seemed to hesitate.

Walking over Anna placed her hand on the Firebirds back she said "I know your scared, I know you don't want to hurt anybody, but your are hurting my sister" she paused then added "If she means the world to you then tell her".

Bending his head she knew what she said had affected him as she knew he was a soul who would not want to intentionally hurt anybody, "I am sorry" said Firebird softly,

"Its okay" said Anna "I know you have worried, but now I promise you, if you take this chance you will not regret it, sure Elsa will be angry...maybe try and freeze you" she whispered the last part then added "But I know that after you tell her what you told me she will understand and maybe give you a chance".

Firebird said nothing, but he knew that Anna making all the sense in the world, but his fear, his responsibility as the phoenix and a fateweaver, everything was just on his shoulders. But at this point...she had to know... the question now is...how to tell her?

* * *

It was late at night when the Firebird flew into Elsa's room after he had spent the entire day trying to figure out a way to tell Elsa the truth. So far it had not been an easy task as every possible conversation he had though off was worse than the last.

Tired he decided to leave it for later as he needed to turn in for the night, arriving to the room he noticed that she was nowhere to be seen. He checked the time and frowned. '11:30, and still not in bed?' It was so unlike her as she was not the type to stay up late, unless it was work-related or Anna as the two sisters would have a sleepover every now and then.

'Probably is with Anna'

Just then, someone was heard knocking at the door. Thinking it was one of the night guards, the Firebird answered it, only mentally groan upon seeing who it was.

"Good evening to you, Sir Firebird," greeted the Duke, his voice still nasal from the punch he had received from the princess.

"Likewise, Duke Weselton," the Firebird replied as politely as he could, "If you're looking for Queen Elsa, she isn't here at the moment, so perhaps you can discuss–" He moved to shut the door, only to have the Duke catch it with his foot.

"Actually, it's you I wanted to speak with," said the Duke. "Regarding the second challenge."

The Firebird motioned for him to continue. "Alright, I'm listening."

"A month from now, a ball will be held in honor the queen's upcoming coronation anniversary," explained the Duke, "And as Her Majesty's most loyal vassal, I came up with a test that could benefit you both."

"And that is?"

The Duke's monocle glinted eerily in the dim light. "A retrieval mission. I'm sure you've heard of how King Agnarr and Queen Iduna, Queen Elsa's parents, tragically lost their lives after their ship sank in a terrible storm at sea four years ago. And as you know, Her Majesty loved her parents very much, most especially her father, so what is a better gift than to recover what has been lost?

"As in to recover their bodies?" asked the Firebird, his face an impassive mask.

"Yes, and their crowns," said the Duke, "If that doesn't help you win the queen's heart, I don't know what will."

The Firebird nodded in acceptance, but said little else. It was as clear as day that the Duke had something up sleeve, what with the nature of the task. He was weak against water, so while this mission would be was not impossible, it would still be difficult, dangerous even. Already, he had began to map out a rough plan on how to approach this quest. 'I might need to pull a favor for this one…'

"Glad to see that you've accepted the terms," said the Duke. "If you succeed, not only will you have passed the second test, but Queen Elsa and the people of Arendelle also will love you all the more for it."

Once the Duke had left, the Firebird returned to his nest, feeling more driven than ever. While he did not, and would never, agree with the older man's rationale, he was still determined to take on the challenge albeit for different reasons. Hopefully, it would ultimately show Elsa the true extent of his feelings.

* * *

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next one.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **I apologize for the disappointment, I had this story planned, guess it was not good enough. But no worries! I took your opinions and hopefully the new changes will be great!...Hopefully, if not then your all open to tell me as constructive criticism is always welcomed.**_

 ** _Also a little shout out to Dreamsandimaginations for passing the_** ** _dissertation, I send much congratulations and wishes of good luck. :)_**

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

 _Sitting down on the desk H.C looked at a book as he was busy reading and trying to figure out what Hans was._

 _"I give up" said Hans sighting as he closed the book he was reading "I looked back and forth and there is nothing that is remotely similar to me"._

 _H.C frowned as he too closed his book, they had looked upon thousands upon thousands of books, but none of them showed anything that looked like Hans. They even showed Hans to certain science people, but they were left baffled as they did not know what he was. Their best explanation was that he was a cross between an eagle and a bird of paradise, but did not know where the bright fire red and gold feathers came from._

 _Sighting H.C and said "I am sure that there is some info around there",_

 _"But not here" said Hans sighting, getting up H.C decided to turn in._

 _H.C slept in a bed while Hans slept in a scarf next to the bed, but today Hans left wide awake, his stomach was rumbeling._

 _Getting up Hans flew to around the room, trying to find something to eat. Sadly there was nothing to eat, not even crumbs._

 _Looking at H.C he noticed H.C was rather skinny, his clothes were ragged and patched up, the room was cold._

 _Frowning Hans felt sorry for it, he had been very kind to him._

 _Moving Hans left the room through the window and made a journey to his home._

 _Arriving Hans grimace a bit before going down the chimeney and getting a beak full of soot...again..._

 _Falling to the ground he coughed and sputtered before shaking the shoot off and taking off quietly._

 _As he flew through the halls he avoided the people when he heard talking._

 _At first he though it was some of the guards till he got closer, when he did he recognized his families voices._

 _"How very nice, this is how dinner should always be" said his mother Valhalla._

 _Confused Hans got closer and peeked through the door, hurt gathered in his heart as he noticed how they were laughing and talking among each other as they had dinner._

 _"They didn't notice that I am gone" though Hans sadly as he turned and left._

 _"Hey, where is your brother? Whats his name?" he heard Strephen say, as soon as he did Hans emediatly went back to hear._

 _For a moment he felt hopeful, if he asked then maybe he does care that he had been missig for who knows how long._

 _"Don't know, don't care" said Caleb as he took a bite out if his meat,_

 _"Don't look at us, were not the useless ones keepers" said Rudi,_

 _"Ya, were not going to waste out time babysitting him" added Runo,_

 _"You are very much right" said Valhalla sighting "Why did he have to be born?",_

 _"I know, I wanted a girl and sadly we got an ugly useless child" said Stephen then huffed "No matter he is probably gone out to who knows where and it is out of our hair",_

 _"Good ridance, right Lars?" said Caleb._

 _For a moment Hans felt hopeful, surely Lars would defend him. They were brothers and he always was nice to him._

 _But just as high his hopes went, the fast and hard they came crashing down with what the words that came out of Lars mouth._

 _"Right" said Lars taking a drink of whine "I mean I almost feel sorry for him... if only there was somebody who could love him?",_

 _"Nobody! He is unwanted and unloved" said Rudi,_

 _"Exactly" said Lars as he downed his glass as the rest laughed not knowing the pain that the person whol they were talking about was nearby._

 _As the words which were spoke ran through Hans mind his eyes widen and began to tear up._

 _Not wanting to hear more he turned and ran away, somehow making his way to his parents room._

 _It was there that he began to cry._

 _How could they? How could they be so cruel?! What did he ever do to them?! And Lars?! He expected cruelty from his other family members but not Lars, never in his worst nightmares would he had ever though that he would hear Lars say such horrible cruel words!_

 _How could he?! He though Lars cared about him! That his brother loved him!_

 _"Aparently he does not... no nobody in my family does" though Hans as now rage enter his mind._

 _They though that he was useless? Unloved!? He will show them! Once he found a way to change back he will prove to them that he is not useless and is worthy! One way or another he will find a way to make then regret the day they ever said those words! And Lars..._

 _He just lost a good brother..._

 _And so far he has! He escaped the witch without any help! He helped a family in need and made a friend! That was more than any of them had ever done!_

 _"Good ridance! I do not need them!" Snapped Hans and With new determination Hans decided to focus on his present task. He had to help his friend._

 _Going to his mothers and fathers room he opened the jewelery box, looking over he picked a gold bracelet with a huge sapphire on it in the shape of the crescent moon._

 _Taking it he opened the door_

 _Making his way back Hans placed it on the bedside before leaving. He left the gem next to H.C before leaving through an open window._

 _Flying with great difficulty he managed to get to the authors home._

 _Going through the window Hans dropped the bracelet on the bed before collapsing unto the floor from exhaustion._

 _Flying was hard work...who knew?_

* * *

 _"Hans! Hans! Wake up!" he heard, groaning at first Hans was desoriented before he felt something wet on his head._

 _Water?_

 _Waiking up he saw it was H.C, the wet stuff he felt was a small rag which had a bit of water on it._

 _"Thank God yor okay! I was so worried" said H.C happy to see his bird friend was alive "When I found you on the ground I feared that you were badly hurt",_

 _"You worried about me?" asked Hans softly, almost not believing it as the words Lars said were still in his mind,_

 _"Of course, even though we do not know one another well I consider you my dear friend" said H.C softly "My heart would break if anything bad were to happen to you"._

 _Saying nothing Hans almost wanted to cry at that. Not of sadness but of joy. It felt good that somebody cared about his well being and genuinly._

 _"Thank you" he whispered as H.C got up from the ground and set him aside on the table._

 _"H.C" said Hans,_

 _"Yes?" saidH.C as he was ready to make some gruel, though sadly it was going to be rather thin._

 _Flying over Hans grabbed the bracelet he dropped and showed it "I...I mean here... maybe we can sell it?"._

 _Saying nothing H.C took the bracelet with a trembeling hand then all of a sudden he hugged the firebird saying "Thank you! Thank you! This is perfect, with this we can get out of here!",_

 _"Out of here?" asked the firebird confused,_

 _"You see... after I wrote that review the tyrant of the southern isles took all my money away so I would be trapped here... but with this we can finally go back to my beloved Coppehange" said H.C_

 _"Back? Coppenhange?" asked Hans,_

 _"I mean if you want to go with me that is..." said H.C hopeful as he did not want to leave his little bird friend._

 _Hans said nothing as he though, he hesitated as he was afraid to venture out into a strange new place. But in the end... he could not stay... not anymore..._

 _"Of course I will come! Anywhere is better than here" said Hans,_

 _"Thats great! You will not be sorry my friend!" said H.C as he quickly went and grabbed his only coat which was tattered and an old satchel, putting on his shoes he opened the bag allowing Hans to jump in and with bracelet in hand they left._

 _After selling it in a pawn shop H.C went to port and got a ticket for a boat ride to Copenhange Denmark._

 _The ticket seller looked rathe odd at Hans as he stuck his head out of the satchel mometerallg but regardless sold then the ticket._

 _Getting on the boat they waited for a bit before he boat sailed off._

 _"Things will be different now" said H.C as the islands slowly faded away from the horizon._

 _"Yes they will" whispered Hans as he remembered what he went through and at that moment decided he did not want to be part of his family... or even be like his family at all._

 _So yes... his curse was starting to look like a blessing to him now._

* * *

Waking up Firebird looked around and frowned when he noticed Elsa was in her bed, her hair was in braids, Anna's handiwork.

He smiled gently before he got off of the nest he slept in and made his way out of the room as quiet as possible for he did not want to disturb Elsa and at the same time he wanted to do something.

He had two mysteries to solve, one was why Elsa was so scared of her magic and second was where were the bodies of Iduna and Agnaar.

* * *

It was late at night and still Hans found himself Pouring over all the books and journals he could find about the royal arendellian family.

Sitting on a desk with a single candle with a flickering flame to light the area he ran his hand through his hair as he frowned, it made no sense!

Why would her parents keep her and her sister so secluded and away from the world? Who was the idiot who gave them that idea and told them it was a good idea? Or was their own idea?

"Either they got dropped on their heads the day they were born or they followed some really bad advice from an outside source" though Hans as he moved the pages of the book.

It was sad, true they meant well but their actions did more harm than good, not just to Elsa but to Anna as well.

Nothing good comes from isolation, a good example of it's consequences is what happened to Queen Marie Antoinette and her husband king Loui as their isolation from their kingdom and people caused them to loose their thrones and lives.

Hans rested his head against his hand as he moved the pages if the journal, he wants to help Elsa embrace her magic, but he cannot do that unless he figures out why did their parents did what they did.

As he did the door slowly opened, looking in Anna held back a giggle as she tip toed over to Hans.

She took a deep breath, ready to scare him when Hans said "Don't even think about it",

"Aww your no fun" said Anna as she walked over and sat on the desk then asked "What have you been up to?",

"Looking through the past" said Hans then added "I wonder something",

"What?" asked Anna curious,

"I noticed that for a long time the gates were closed...why?" asked Hans curious,

Anna frowned sighted and said "Its complicated",

"I have all the time in the world" said Hans,

Anna stared and sighted, guess its was okay for her to tell him "Many years ago Elsa and I were very close, then one day my parents closed the gates and afterwards my sister she just shut me out" pausing to take a breath she continued "Years passed, I always asked why but nobody told me anything, not even my parents... at times..." she shook her head "Its silly but at times I felt like I was the unwanted spare".

There was silence as she bent her head, remembering those dark times always made Anna feel like she wanted to cry.

Frowning Hans reached and took her hand unto his gloved one and said "I know how you feel, but don't be sad, for I am sure neither your parents or your sister ever wanted to make you feel that way",

"Thats what I though at that time, especially when Elsa did not come to the funeral" said Anna softly "I got so mad, she shut me out again when I needed her the most, so I barged to her room, I hit the door so hard that it broke and I confronted her... I so upset... so angry... that I just pushed her and she revealed her magic to me... by accidentally throwing ice shards at me..."

Taking a breath Anna continued her story "I ran away into the forest, got lost, the wolves, they smelled and hunted me down, in my panic I crossed paths with Kristoff, we both almost died that night, till my sister came to the rescue...",

"I am sorry you had to go through all that" said Hans,

"Its okay... as things got better after that... but I fear that between what my parents did and the council Elsa will never truly be free or happy",

"You do not need to worry about that, for I promise you that I will help Elsa and that is what I intend to do no matter what" said Hans then paused and asked "but do you not think its strange? Why would you parents resort to such drastic measures?",

"I do not know, but that is not strange, strange was the dream I had once" said Anna then added with a light laugh "I dreamt that a troll kissed me".

As soon as she said that there was an eerie silence, Hans stared shocked and asked "what did you say?",

"I dreamed that a troll kissed me..." repeated Anna.

Hans looked then said in a grave voice "That was no dream Anna...".

* * *

Getting up from bed Elsa rubbed her eyes as she was tired. Looking around tired Elsa moved to get up only to find a brekfast tray on a table with a flower and letter.

Taking it she admired, it was a beautiful envelope, decorated woth many fine details drawn on the borders such as crocus and delicate red and gold feathers.

Turning it she admired the wax seal that was a bird with outstretched wings. Opening it she pulled out the letter and read it.

The penmanship was without a doubt the most beautiful she had ever seen.

"My dearest Elsa:

I am sorry for leaving so abrutly but I have some important matters to attend to with Kristoff.

Will be back as soon as possible.

Ps: Watch out for the Duke... he is planning something...

Firebird"

Closing the envelope Elsa put it aside and ate her breakfast. As she did she wondered what Firebird was doing, but her guess he would be fine with Kristoff and when he got back she would know where they went. With that in mind she got ready for the day and left as she was to help Anna plan her wedding which would come as soon as the Firebird finished the trials.

* * *

There was silence as Kristoff and Firebird made their way to rock valley.

Why the firebird wanted to see the trolls Kristoff had no idea, but resolved to take him there at his insistence.

Arriving the firebird glared at the rocks, before Kristoff could say anything the firebird did something most unexpected.

A column of flames surrounded the bird, consumming his form. When it was gone it revealed a man in the birds place.

Kristoff stared in shocked, innall honesty Anna had confided with him what she knew about the firebird, as he listened he had thought that maybe Anna had imagened the whole thing. Even if he grew up around trolls and such the whole magical bird that can turn human but is a prince was pretty far fetched to him.

Yet here he had witnessed the truth, Anna had not been imagening as he though and made him feel terrible about it.

"Your silent" said the hooded figure not facing him.

"I... suspected" was all Kristoff could say,

"Anna told you?" asked the figure turning to face Kristoff, he could not see well as the hood obscured a large portion of his face, he could see his mouth and chin, but not anything above that.

"Yes" said Kristoff,

"Frankly does not surprise me as I did not tell her to not tell you" said the Firebird then added "Just make sure you do not tell anybody, especially Elsa as I am going to tell her soon", Kristoff said nothing as he knew why, Anna had told him.

Turning back towards the rocks he summoned small embers and threw them at the rocks.

Yelling the trolls got up and started fanning and rubbing their injured spots.

"So...you all like to mess around with peoples lives" said Firebird glaring at all of them as he crossed his arms.

At first the trolls were angry till they saw the firebird, much to Kristoffs surprise their faces turned to pure fear as they coward under the Firebirds presence of the firebird before they fell to their knees bending their heads like lower classes would to mighty rulers.

The elder troll paddie carefully walked over terrified, hastily he bow down and spoke in a strange language Kristoff did not recognized.

"My lord Phoenix, may your fire burn bright as the sun" said Paddie in the magical language as he too fell on his knees and bow down.

Kristoff looked surprised, Paddie never did that, non of the trolls did, not even when the rulers visited. Why were they acting so formal, so fearful to the Firebird? For the moment Kristoff decided that it was best be silent as the two spoke.

Nodding the Firebird spoke in the same language "Elder Paddie of the rock valley trolls, I wish you a long life and health".

"What brings us the honor of your visit?" asked Paddie,

"I am sorry to say but I was made aware of what you did to Queen Elsa and Princess Anna" said Firebird.

Paddie looked confused before his eyes widen and said "We only did what was right",

"And your right almost doomed both royals and their kingdom" said Firebird "You know the rules Elder paddie, the only magical creatures who are allowed to use future sight and to advice in such matters are the fateweavers or myself",

"We had to-",

"No excuse!" Growled Firebird making them coward "If I ever catch you breaking the rules again a punishment will be done! This is a warning!" with a wave of his hand he threw a flame to a tree, once it hit the tree it was creamted on the spot, not even ashes were left.

Terrified the trolls nodded, Kristoff stared between them as he was not sure what was spoken as he did not understand the language they spoke, but whatever it was, it was not good with the way they acted.

Turning the firebird left, looking back at his family Kristoff wanted to ask what had just been spoken about but knew they would not tell him so he went after the Firebird.

"Hey hey!" Said Kristoff as he caught up to the firebird.

Turning the firebird looked at Kristoff,

"What was that?" Asked/demanded Kristoff "what did you say?! What did they say?!".

Firebird sighted and said "long story short they broke a magical rule, their lucky I am able to intervene or else their and everybody else's lives here in Arendelle would have been in danger",

"what are you talking about? What rules?" asked kristoff,

"Everything in life there are rules we must obey, that includes those who have magic...the more powerful the magic the more restrictions and rules you have" said Firebird,

"Restrictions...Rules...like?" asked Kristoff,

"Depends on your power...for example myself... I have the power to bring people back to life, but that does not mean that I will" said Firebird,

"Why not?" asked Kristoff surprised, did he really have such power?

"Doing such a thing will upset the balance of nature, to bring a life a life must be taken, if the balance is disturbed then so will the order of things and chaos will rein till the balance is restored once more" explained the firebird then added "They broke a rule...it was not their place to advice or see into the future, that is a job exclusive for the Fateweavers or myself",

"Fateweavers?" asked Kristoff,

"Their what you would call fairy godparents, were tasked with ensuring that worthy ones achieve their destiny through advice or use of magic" said The firebird.

Kristoff looked engrossed them asked "Is that way your helping us? Because you have to?",

"No" said the firebird then smiled "Because I want to, your my friends",

Kristoff stares before bursting out laughing,

"What's so funny?" asked Firebird,

"Its funny because I am wondering if I am in some sort of fairy tale" said Kristoff "Because this is too good to be true",

"Sometimes even fairytales have a bit of truth to them" said Firebird as he changed back to his bird form and said "Care to take me back to town? I happen to know a good jewel shop that will be the place to find the perfect ring for Anna",

"Thank you" said Kristoff as they made their way back to the sled before they made their way back to Arendelle, both eager to finish their task so they can get back to their loves.

* * *

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next one.**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **I apologize for the disappointment, I had this story planned, guess it was not good enough. But no worries! I took your opinions and hopefully the new changes will be great!...Hopefully, if not then your all open to tell me as constructive criticism is always welcomed.**_

 ** _Also a little shout out to Dreamsandimaginations for passing the_** ** _dissertation, I send much congratulations and wishes of good luck. :)_**

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Morning routine, everybody had one, even Anna who was not a morning person.

Getting up Elsa yawned a bit and rubbed her eyes before looking at the nest, it was empty, which of course did not surprise her as he tended to rise early. So thinking nothing of it Elsa went about her morning routine of getting cleaned, dressed and so forth.

When finished doing her hair Elsa went to her chest and opened it up to grab her gloves. True , she did not need them as she got a sense of control over her magic, but still her gloves gave her a kind of security.

Once the trunk was open Elsa expected to find it full of gloves, yet she did not. Doing a double take she saw the inside of the trunk was devoid of any gloves.

Touching it Elsa was having a panic attack as the though of loosing her gloves was pushing her over the edge as she wondered where could they have gone.

As soon as she though that her panic turned to anger as she realized who the culprit was.

"FIREBIRD!"

* * *

Making his way back to the palace Firebird felt a shiver go down his spine.

"Somebody is thinking of me" he mused but soon he saw how right he was when he saw Elsa making her way over to him.

"Where are my gloves?!" she demanded,

"Hello my dear, your looking lovely this morning" said Firebird with a cheeky grin.

"No games! I demand that you tell me where they are or I'll or I'll" said Elsa, she was so mad she could barely think straight even her face was turning red because of it,

"Or you will what my dear? I am opened to the challenge" said Firebird not at all phased by her anger.

That was it! Angry Elsa yelled and threw her hands over at his, shooting ice which he dodged.

"Awwww, kitty like to scratch, okay challange accepted" said Firebird "You win and I will tell you where your precious gloves are" as flames began to dance around.

Elsa growled before shooting more ice towards the firebird as he dodged and flitted about, spreading his wings he took flight deeper into the garden where there would be no interruptions.

* * *

Anger, it was there yet Elsa felt her heart racing, probably from the adrenaline of the very though either battle or competition.

As she walked through the trees a fog began to surround the area. It was so thick she could beraly see her hand in front of her.

It scared Elsa, for all she knew there could be a lot of dangers hidden in the fog.

"Lets see you try and find me" she heard the firebird say from somewhere.

Upon hearing that Elsa felt her competitive side light up as she pushed foreward, determined to win.

* * *

Shifting to his human form Hans quietly made his way through the fog. Breathing he tried to calm his nerves... what should he be so afraid of? All he had to do was tell her... no need to be afraid... especially now that it was only him and her around, nobody else to try and pry as he definetly did not want the council or that duke to know till the trials were over.

" Okay... here is hope..." he though as he reahed for a branch and broke it. The sound making Elsa jump before she followed the sound just as he planned.

* * *

Somebody was nearby, Elsa could feel it as she looked around for the Firebird.

As time went on she got tense, as if she would fire at anything that made the slightest move or noise as she walked through the thick fog.

Coming up she saw the wall which surrounded the palace, it was then that she got an idea.

Discreetly using her ice magic she made ice grow on the walls, ever so carefully every now and then she would turn and look at the ice, using it as a mirror to see if there was anybody behind her... sure enough there was.

Less than a foot behind her stood a tall male figure, who he was, she was sure it was a he, she was not sure as his cloak and hood hid any distinguishable features.

That alone made her fear as she realized whoever it was... if he hid then it meant he was dangerous.

Turning around she threw ice only to find the man was gone, it was as if he vanished into thin air.

"Where did he go?" muttered Elsa when she heard a whistle making her turn and look.

"Come on! I an bored to tears" said Firebird before laughing and leaving.

"Firebird!" yelled Elsa as she ran after him, every now and then looking behind to make sure that strange man was not following her.

* * *

"Okay, this was not one of my brightest ideas" though Firebird as he To say flew around dodging trees and shrubbery. He was going to tell her but of course he does not want her attacking him.

"Better come up with something better" he though then all of a sudden he hit a wall of ice, slowly righting himself he looked but beraly had any time to react as Elsa shot ice all around him, encansing him in a sort of cocoon of ice, not letting him escape.

"So do I have your complete and total surrender?" he heard Elsa say from the outside.

* * *

Elsa smiled feeling the thrill of victory as she looked at the encasement of ice.

Finally! After such a long time with the firebird always having the upper hand she finally beat him.

She crossed her hands and waited for the response, every second that passed was worth the wait.

"Sorry my dear but not today" she heard making her look back in shock, the firebird stood behind her looking ever so smug.

"How did you? When did you?" said Elsa shocked as she looked between the dome of ice where rhe firebird was supposed to be and the firebird.

"Trade secret my dear" said Firebird looking proud "I got to say, your pretty good, not an expert, but better than most",

"You have fought before" said Elsa,

"Many times before..." Firebird said then added with a small smile "today you definetly showed that you had that warrior spirit inside of you".

Looking away Elsa said "I know your trying to help... but I cannot change what I feel".

Walking over the firebird pressed his head against her side and said "It saddens me to hear that, for you can do so much good with your magic",

"Like?" said Elsa,

"You can help give your people protection with a flick of your wrist if there was ever an attack" said Firebird,

"There are guards for that" said Elsa,

"But even they need help" said Firebird "for those who need homes you can built some of ice while construction prepares proper homes",

"Builders can work faster" said Elsa,

"With the aid of the magical snowmen which you can make" firebird said "See you can do so much good and yet your stuck believing your powers are evil, your evil",

"Because I am" she whispered softly as she remembered the past.

"No your not, I have seen evil and its not you Elsa" said Firebird then added "Don't believe me? Look up information about King Stephen Westergaard of the southern isles... if evil ruler or tyrant ever had a picture in the dictionary it would be his picture"

There was silence after a little while before Elsa smile and said "Thank you",

"I love you Elsa, Me and Anna... the palace... eveybody hates that you see yourself the way you do... when your not" said Firebird softly,

"Its very hard to see myself any other way" said Elsa,

"Hopefully after today it will all change" said the firebird then added "I may or may not have burried your gloves somewhere around here... want to get them?".

Elsa though then smiled as she said "I think I will leave he gloves be" and surprisingly she meant it as she turned and said "Lets go home" with that they left together.

* * *

The sun had setting behind the sea, Elsa could see it well from the windows of the library.

She yelped when scroll fell on top of her.

Looking up she looked at little irritated at the Firebird.

"Sorry... it slipped... honest" said Firebird as he had a scroll in hand, a map of Elsa was correct before he went down and opened it and began to look at it as if trying to find something.

Turning back to the books she looked around the tittles, lookin for something specific.

Curiosety about the man whom Firebird talked about settled in Elsas mind as she wondered if this Stephen was as bad as the firebird said.

Yes when she was a child she did remembered her parents talking about a certain king Stephen, about how he murdered his youngest son. But she did not remember all the details about it as she had been very young... about three years old if her memory serves correctly.

Tracing the books she finally found one, it was red, did not have any designs to catch a persons attention, even the tittle was simple as it said The Southern isles, which was where the firbeird said he king was from.

Taking it she browsed the pages and noticed the book was quite old, not really updated.

But regardless she looked through the contents and found the name Stephen Westergaard.

Moving the pages she found Kings stephens picture, true it was just a picture but it still made her shiver in fear.

This man was definetly not friendly, not even in pictures, he had this look that could send even the bravest of men running, his clothes were just an excess of textiles, gold and jewels.

When poirtrates of rulers are taken its to send a message to their people and clearly the message of this one was that of a tyrant reaffirming his control over his people as it screamed "I am the king, betray me and you will suffer my wrath".

Shivering again Elsa turned the page and read "King Stephen Westergaard, current and last ruler of the Southern isles. Known as a tyrant who abused his power and murderor of innocent, said to be worse than Nero or Ivan the terrible. He was married to the last queen of the southern isles Valhalla, they produced 13 children, all whom which perished on the revolt caused by their fathers cruel regime or were murdered by the hands of the father".

Elsa had to reread the last paragraph, murder? That man murdered his own flesh and blood?!

Moving the pages she read about the children, all were more horrible than the last. The most decent being Lars but his had nothing nice to say.

"Lars Westergaard, described weak both mentally and physically. A puppet which does whatever his father says to save his own skin. Though his amount of intelligence is in excess his morals are sadly not even apparent"

Moving she kept reading throught the pages till she reached the last one, the thirteenth prince.

His unlike the others had no picture to show who he was... and his information? Beraly two paragraphs which said

"Was born during the winter without summer. At the age of 5 murdered by his father in a fit of rage, chopped up and hidden in the walls of the palace"

"Thats awful" said Elsa shocked that a father would do such a thing to their own son! A five year old non the less! No wonder the firebird described the man as evil as not even with her powers and what she did did her parents even think about hurting her.

Closing the book Elsa felt a little better now as the Firebird was right, evil she was not.

But as she put the book back she wondered how did the firebird know about Stephen.. and... who was that man? The one who had followed behind her before disappearig?

Was he really there or just her mind playing tricks? Come to think of it the cloaks design reminded her strangely about the firebird.

Were they?

"Noo! Don't be ridicules Elsa! In fairytale land maybe but really? Such things never happen in real life" Elsa scolded herself before leaving.

Thinking she did admitted that she would have liked to think that the firebird can turn human and that the man who she saw was him, but she knew such things were pure nonsense... a nice though... but nonsense regardless.

If they were true, which Elsa was sure it was not, and Firebird did have a human form she would be mad at first, but if he had a good reason for it she would have forgiven him for yes he had his faults, but she was not perfect either and despite those faults he had many desirable traits in character and all that hehas done through his stay was to help her and Anna.

Wait... was she...

Placing her hands on her cheeks she noticed how warm they felt. A sure sign that she was blushing which meant...

Was she actually falling for him?

"No! Don't be riducules!" She though, she cared about him and that is all she told herself, yet her heart knew the truth..

She was starting to fall in love with the firebird...

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next one.**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **I apologize for the disappointment, I had this story planned, guess it was not good enough. But no worries! I took your opinions and hopefully the new changes will be great!...Hopefully, if not then your all open to tell me as constructive criticism is always welcomed.**_

 ** _Also a little shout out to Dreamsandimaginations for passing the_** ** _dissertation and the tests, I send much congratulations and wishes of good luck for the future. :)_**

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Work, something we do almost all of our lives once we become selfsufficient enough.

But luckily after work comes a leasurely time, a time to enjoy many games or pass times, which in the palace of Arendelle there were plenty of them.

Moving Hans concentrated on the ball before hitting it.

"Nice... I think? I am not familiar with it" said Anna as Hans had gotten her and Kristoff to agree to try a game which he called "English Billiard" which was recently sent to them as a gift from Queen Victoria.

"Its fair, though my brother Albert is better at this than me" said Hans moving to allow Anna to take a shot.

"Who is Albert?" asked Anna as she moved and aimed,

"You would not believe me if I told you..." he said then added "The Duke and council don't",

"Try us" said Kristoff crossing his arms,

"What he said" said Anna, Hans sighted and breathed before saying "Queen Victorias Husband".

Hearing that made Anna miss the ball in shock before turning and saying "What? That Albert?! He is your brother?'",

"No! I mean, their my siblings but not by blood, but him and Victoria have been my friends since we were young" explained Hans,

"Okay not that I do not believe you but, isn't it a little..." began Kristoff hesitating as he remembered that Hans could do to him what he did to that poor tree.

"Unbelivable?, I know, but its the truth" said Hans as he began to reach into the pockets of his cloak rummaging through them before pulling out a small booklet and opening.

"Here... this was a gift they gave me" said Hans as he rummage through the pages to reveal dozens upon dozens of letters before setteling on a picture...

A picture which was moving!

Both Kristoff and Anna stared in aw as the picture showed Hans, Albert and Victoria in a study, they seemed to be discussing something as they sat on the rug with tea, cakes and some other things.

"What is this?" asked Anna amazed,

"Moving pictogram, their all the rage in the underground kingdom" said Hans.

"How long do you know them?" asked Kristoff,

"Since we were kids, we bonded over... our past which I rather not discuss" said Hans closing the book.

"Why?" pressed Anna,

"I just rather not, please" said Hans.

"So... okay, I am going to regret asking but... Victoria... how exactly do you know her?" asked Anna.

Hans looked away a little flustered and said "She... I... well... she is my ex",

"Wait ex? You mean?" asked Kristoff,

"Yes" said Hans as he face palmed,

"How?!" yelled Anna,

"We bonded over our past... she figured out I was not exactly a bird and we started a relationship... it was a big mistake" said Hans,

"How so? You could have been the consort to the queen of England" said Kristoff curious,

"She was clingy, controlling... basically a stick of dynamite whenever she wanted to be... but most importantly I was not her fated husband, it was Albert, so I played matchmaker with them..., another huge mistake because ever since they got married they have been trying to pair me up with every single princess or family member they know" said Hans,

"How far did you two take it?!" Anna blurted out,

"Anna!" Said Kristoff shocked,

"What? As sister to Elsa I have the right to know" said Anna.

Hans could not help but chuckle at that. He wished he had a sister or sibbling like Anna. Sadly he did not.

So shaking his head he said "We went out, kissed once, that was it",

"You sware on it?" said Anna,

"Why would I lie?" asked Hans,

"Making sure, for remember your promise" said Anna,

"Trust me, I will not forget" said Hans then looking up at the clock he said "I have to go... Kristoff will meet you around 7 pm at your cabin",

"I hear you" said Kristoff as Hand turned to his firebird form then flew away.

"What are you two doing at 7 pm?" asked Anna,

"Rescue mission" said Kristoff before explaining.

* * *

Light clinks were heard in one of the studies.

Taking a break Elsa and the Firebird drank some hot chocolate, there were cookies and sandwiches but the Firebird did not touch the cookies.

"The chocolate is good this time" said Elsa then added "New recipe?"

"Yes, its one I picked up on my travels to France" said Firebird "its pure chocolate with very little cream",

"No wonder its so smooth" said Elsa as she set her cup down, then looking at her the Firebird laughed.

"What?" asked Elsa,

"Chocolate mustage" snorted the firebird as he reached and held up a silver butter knife.

Using it as a mirror Elsa quickly grabbed a napkin to both whipe and cover her mouth to keep herself from laughing.

"Don't do that, laugh, your laugh is beautiful" said the Firebird,

"No no, its not funny" said Elsa fighting to not laugh,

"Why?" Asked the Firebird then frowned "Is it the duke?",

"What about him?" asked Elsa,

"Is he the one who you say those things?! About you? The magic?" said The firebird.

Elsa said nothing as she raised her cup, sighting the firebird placed a wing consolingly on her hand and said "Ignore them, their wrong about everything, especially about you" leaning over he pressed his forehead against hers "You deserve better, those men do not have the best interest for you, they put you down because their afraid of you, don't hide... show them who is the queen and you will have them at your feet and the world at your hand",

"You make it sound so easy" said Elsa running a hand gently through his feathers,

"All it takes is confidence... believe in yourself Elsa..." said the firebird as he moved away.

Looking he sighted and said "I am sorry, I have to go... but I will be back as soon as possible",

"Where are you going?" asked Elsa,

"A surprise" said the firebird poking her nose before leaving.

Shaking her head at him she said "You and your secrets..."

* * *

Flying the Firebird made it to Kristoffs home which was near the hidden valley of the trolls, he could see some trolls in the back yard but they left as soon as they spotted him.

Seems his threat worked a little bit too well.

Landing on the porch of the cottage firebird immolated himself, turning to his human form before walking over and knocked on the door.

After a few knocks Kristoff opened the door,

"Kristoff?!" yelled Hans in shock upon looking at the ice harvester, he was black and blue all over, covered in bruises, his eyes were swollen and nose broken, his arm looked like it had been mangled.

"Hey..." Kristoff said trying to pretend that nothing had happened.

"What happened?! Who did this to you?!" demanded Hans as he slowly grew angry as he had a small idea of who could it be.

"It's nothing just a scratch, just a-" Kristoffs voice trailed off as he collapsed.

Acting quick Hans caught kristoffs falling form.

Slowly and with great difficulty Hans dragged Kristoff into the cabin.

The cabin was not that big, it was built like a traditional Viking home with everything happening in one room.

Placing the harvester on a cot Hans remedially went to work, he could heal kristoff but first he had to take care of the broken bones and move them back into place, but that would be painful so he had to make a sedative first.

Making a fire Hans quickly used a pot and began to reach into the pocket of his coat bring out herbs and other things and utensils such as a pedestal and mortar, using that he grounded the herbs and roots into mush before tossing them into the fire letting them boil, as he added items the mixture turned green then yellow before foaming and turning as clear as water.

Scooping some up into a discarded cup Hans walked over to Kristoff, holding the mixture and tilting his head Hans forced the liquid down Kristoffs throat.

The ice harvester gagged and sputtered at the foul taste of the liquid going down his throat before Hans set it aside.

The liquid would take a couple of minutes before it took effect so Hans began to clean the areas of the bruises to make sure that there was no infection.

Once clean Hans sighted as he took kristoffs arm, with one forced movement he moved the bone back in place, Kristoff yelled as he did but did not wake, when done Hans summoned a golden flame which he pressed unto Krisroffs chest.

The flame deeper into his body and spreader, as it did the wounds which had been inflicted upon him slowly vanished.

About 10 minutes or so passed before the healing had been completed and Kristoff lay there sleeping peacefully, his body showing no signs of the torture that had been inflicted upon him.

Hans smiled as he was pleased with the healing as he knew Kristoff would be fine, but the same could not be said for the council.

He had had it with them and their frankly very obsolete customs and if they did this...which he was sure they did...then he would make sure they will pay for this.

Nobody harmed a friend of the firebird and lived to tell the tale unchanged.

* * *

Sitting down at her vanity Elsa sighted as today had been a vey long and exhausting day.

Undoing her bun and letting her hair loose she sighted and ran a brush through her hair, letting memories.

It seemed as if it was only yesterday when things were all a mess. Corruption was running amok, but now... things were different.

In a way the firebird had been a godsend. But that raised questions...

How can a bird know politics? Rules? It was so strange... unlesss

"Nooo... its not possible" though Elsa shaking her head "you have been reading way too many fairytales"

* * *

Night had arrived and Kristoffs cottage was brightly lit. Sitting down Hans was busy with some tools Kristoff had.

Because Kristoff was still asleep he entertained himself by fixing the broken tools the harvester has around the house...which were a lot...the man seemed to go through a lot of it.

As he had finished with the last pick axe Hans saw Kristoff slowly wake up.

He groaned as he sat up while Hans walked over and asked " Feeling better?",

"Yes..." said Kristoff rubbing his forehead, his voice trailing off as he looked at himself, shocked that he not only felt no pain, but that his wounds were healed, it was as if nothing had happened.

"Kristoff...who did that to you?" asked Hans,

Kristoff sighted and said "I don't know, I was busy trying to get extra jobs...to get a ring for Anna... finally I was able to pay off the ring and when I got it out... I walked home... I was ambushed by 5 men in black and they beat me up... when i came back too I was on the ground and the ring was gone".

Hans looked hoping to find that kristoff knew and lied to him about who did it, but he was genuine.

Nodding Hans said "It's okay, whoever did this will pay",

"You won't kill them right?" said Kristoff,

"No, but I will make sure they will pay for what they did" said Hans then added "For now...I need your help",

"And I need a ring" said Kristoff sarcastically before sighting and said "Sorry...I am just angry that all that work was for nothing",

"No it's not" said Hans "Please if you will accompany me to a friend I promise I will give you another ring so you can give it to Anna".

Kristoff looked, he felt guilty for the way he told Hans after he had been a friend, helped him and healed him.

"You don't need to give me another ring, I will help you regardless" said Kristoff,

"I want to, you worked hard and it's not fair that all that work you did was for nothing, I will not allow it" said Hans.

Kristoff nodded his thanks, he said nothing as he doubted that he could find the right words, he was never that good with people, frankly he preferred reindeer company over human, true that changed with Anna, but he still felt a little ackward.

"Let's get Sven ready" said Kristoff as he got up.

* * *

Morning had arrived and it signaled another busy day in town as people went about their day either cleaning shops or selling their ways. Peeking from the carriage Anna watched people go, closing the curtains she turned to say something to say but then she frowned she remembered that Kristoff was not there.

Yes she knew that he was with the Firebird, but could not hell but worried about him as she had noticed he had been taking extra work and doing odd jobs lately.

Why? She had a good idea and it was sad, she did not need jewels or money to be happy. Quite frankly she would be happy living the life of a pheasant in a cabin with Kristoff, but sadly because she was a princess others though that she needed live the life of such and have a husband who could provide it.

"Kristoff my love...I need not jewels or money to make me happy...all I want and need is you" though Anna as she got up and looked out the window hoping and praying that wherever he was...that he was okay.

"We are here" she heard the coachman say as they stopped in front of a small little shop.

It was somewhat nondescript, there was nothing that made it stand out as it looked like any other regular home, but it was the home of the people which will give Anna the answers she had sought.

"Here is to hope" though Anna as she got out of the coach and knocked on the door.

"A minute!" they heard somebody yell.

Soon the door opened and an old very very short man, about the same size of Duke Weselton, but much burly and strong opened.

"Ya?" he said sounding grumpy as he rubbed a cloth over his face, doing nothing to clean up the soot and cinders that covered his face,

"Uhhh...I am here to... inquire about this watch?" said Anna trying hard not to stare as she took out and held out the watch.

Taking out glasses he looked over it, for a moment he looked confused then shocked before saying "Come inside".

Nodding she walked inside with a guard and shut the door behind them, the inside of the house was messing, a workplace mostly as tools were scattered around along with materials and all other things needed to work on gold and other metals.

Walking pass them they arrived to a huge fireplace/furnace were a man was busy working on something, this one was much much taller and lankier. Walking over the man who allowed Anna in began to talk to the other in Danish, as they talked she noticed how they spoke very hurried and fast that Anna could not tell what they were saying.

After a while they turned and asked "Where did you get this?",

"I... found it... why?" asked Anna confused "Do you know it?",

"Of course, its one of my works" said the lankier man then added bitterly "It was commissioned by the King Stephen of the southern isles for his children, a waste of fine work if I do say so myself",

"Work? Children?" asked Anna confused,

"Yes many years ago, that man was a tyrant, he never payed for the work I did for him" he said bitterly then added to answer the other question "He had 13th sons",

"Good I am getting somewhere" though Anna then asked "Would you know which one of the sons this watch belongs to?",

"Yes... each one was made of a different metal per son...then covered by a gold" said The man as he left and came back with some tools.

"We should know..." he muttered as he began to peel the gold off a bit then examine the metal underneath once he did he muttered "It can't be... it should not be possible",

"Sir?" asked Anna confused,

"The saying on the lid we were hoping it was a coincidence... but the metal... there is no denying it..." said the man "The watch belongs to-"

* * *

Soft splashes were heard as Kristoff and Hans rowed a boat in a mysterious lake surrounded by fog.

Was kristoff scared? Yes he was scared, terrified even, but for some reasons even though he was scared he felt safe as he had Hans with him.

Looking at himself he was surprised to find no injury, couple that with the fact that the mere mention of the word firebird sent his troll family to hiding gave the impression that he was a lot more powerful than he though and that made him wonder, were there others like him?

"Firebird" said Kristoff,

"Yes?" said Hans as he scanned around the lake as if looking for something or somebody.

"Remember when I took you to visit my family?" asked Kristoff,

"How can I forget? And no, I would not hurt them, yes I did threatened them but it was because they needed to know how serious the problem they caused was" said Hans,

"It's not that" said Kristoff,

"Oh, what is?" asked Hans curious,

"Can you tell me more about the norms and such that you told me about that time" said Kristoff.

"I see..." he said then paused as he though then asked "Where to begin...it all started many years ago...probably towards the beginning of time...but however the origen our job is the same...we help worthy ones achieve their destiny and maintain the balance of the world...",

"Sounds like a hard job" said Kristoff,

"It is...it's both a blessing and a curse" said Hans,

"How so?" asked Kristoff,

"Sometimes, no matter how much we want to...we cannot change certain fates...for if we do then disaster will strike as the balance would be destroyed" said Hans he sighted "Seeing a future disaster yet sometimes not being able to do anything about it can be quite depressing",

"I am sorry to hear that" said Kristoff,

"It's okay, it's a burden I have learned to deal with" said Hans

"Are there more of you?" asked Kristoff,

"No...there can only be one firebird at a time in existence... yes there has been other firebird before me... but in order for a new one to exist the old one must die" said Hans but then added "As for fate weavers there are others...13 counting myself...I am the youngest" he chuckled at that finding it a bit ironic.

"Your the youngest?" asked Kristoff,

"Yes...I am only 24 years old...other fate weavers are as old as 500 years old" said Hans,

"Wow that is very old" said Kristoff surprised,

"Yes but they hardly look like it, my friend Sylvia she is 200 years old and she looks like she is not even out of her early twenties" said Hans,

"Wow now that is-" Kristoffs voice trailed off, color draining from his face, eyes widening in fright.

"What?" said Hans not noticing that behind him was a huge sea serpent monster.

The monster breathed then opened its mouth as if to swallow them when.

"Don't even try Selma" said Hans making the monster huff as it knew it's plan to scare him did not work.

Turning Hans said "Don't huff at me! You know better than to scare away guest and friends",

The monster rolled its eyes before putting and growling, communicating.

"Uhhh firebird...your talking to ahh uhhh uhhh" stammered Kristoff at the monster called Selma, it was intimidating and so huge it could swallow them whole if it wanted to.

"Her name is Selma, she is the guardian of this lake" said Hans "Selma this is Kristoff, he is a friend".

Selma leaned towards Kristoff who grew even more nervous before saying "hello?" he began to gagg as she licked him as a form of greeting, covering him with slobber.

"Selma we need a small favor to ask" said Hans.

* * *

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next one.**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: Actually, Selma is a legend from Norway, its known as Nessies Norway cousin and is described as a large serpent like monster that guards a lake. As for seeing more magical/Mythical creatures you will see...**_

 _ **Yubima-chan: Yes it is, glad you enjoyed it. I would say, but that would be a spoiler.**_

 _ **guest: Well she is Elsas sister so she has the right to do so lol. As for who did that to Kristoff you will see.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Walking back and forth on the high tower of the Arendelle castle Anna could not help but bite her knuckles in worry.

It's been 5 days and she has not seen either Firebird or Kristoff.

The very though made her worry so much as she could not help but think of the worst things that could have happened to them.

Maybe kristoff was hurt and the Firebird was trying to help, maybe they got lost...kidnapped...killed!

"Any sign of them?" asked Elsa as she walked over, her face was calm but her eyes reflected worry.

Anna in the past had her doubts about Elsa being genuine about her feelings, but seeing her this worried about the Firebirds well being showed that she did care and maybe even truly loved him.

"No.. not-" Anna paused then gasped happily as she saw Sven making his way to the castle with Kristoff and Firebird merry chatting.

* * *

"Thank you for the ring, Anna is going to love it" said Kristoff as he patted the ring which was on his pocket.

It was a gold band decorated with emeralds, pink and white diamonds.

"No problem" said Firebird then added cheekily "Though I would not mind being your best man at the wedding",

"I don't know about that, I already promised somebody else" said Kristoff "But I guess that it's okay to have two best men", Firebird snorted a bit as he laughed and said "It's fine...so long as you promise me to treat Anna with love",

"I love her, of course I will" said Kristoff,

"Just making sure, she is like a sister to me" said Firebird then added "If she ever was upset or hurt well...let's just say it will not end pretty",

"That won't happen" said Kristoff as he knew that he did not want to be on the Firebirds bad side for more than once he has proven his power.

Arriving they got off of the cart and as soon as the gates opened Kristoff was glimpsed by Anna who ran and threw herself at him, holding him close.

Firebird smiles at that then looked and was surprised to find Elsa there too.

Walking over she crossed her arms and said "Where have you been? I was worried sick",

"I was with Kristoff and..." he paused then said "I think we need to speak inside.

Turning they all went inside as he had a lot to say.

* * *

It was very late at night when Elsa was finally able to sleep as she had been up for most of it crying.

Her crying was a strange mixture of sadness and gladness, her parents bodies were recovered, they were finally home where they belonged and yet it was sad as it shattered any illusion of them being alive somewhere.

Through this time the firebird was up consoling her... but to no avail... till she finally fell asleep and dreamed...

* * *

 _It was a strange dream, a really strange one indeed for Elsa._

 _It started in her throne room, but it was not her throne room, there were two thrones rather than one._

 _As she walked closer she noticed two figures, at first she did not recognize them but as she got closer she could not help but gasp._

 _It was Agnaar and Iduna...her parents,..._

 _Elsa bend over sobbing, she knew this was just a dream, but regardless seeing her parents brought emotions out of her._

 _"My little snowdrop" said Iduna as she extended her hand._

 _"How?" Whimpered Elsa as she reached then hesitated as she was afraid that they would disappear if she touches them._

 _"A friend brought us back, we are home we're we need to be" said Agnaar._

 _"Are you alive?" asked Elsa hopeful,_

 _"No, we are not" said Iduna "Such magic does not exist, but we are able to visit you just for tonight",_

 _"But you said",_

 _"Our bodies are here...your Firebird recovered our bodies to bring us back home...to bring us to you and your sister" said Agnaar._

 _Hearing that made Elsa tear up more, the more she though the more lower she felt till finally she said "Mother, Father please forgive me...I am such a failure",_

 _"Your not a failure Elsa" said Agnaar firmly "And it is not you that should be sorry, but us...we though we were doing the right thing, we though we knew our way, but in the end we not only lost our way but we lost you two as well...our daughters... we tried to hide you from harm and in the end we hurt you both the most"_

 _Closing his eyes Agnaar let a few tears out and said "I am so sorry my dearest Elsa, I have done so much wrong and now I will not be able to have a chance to make up for what I did...what is happening...what you suffered...it is all my fault and I am truly sorry for it",_

 _"It is my fault as well...I should have known better than to listen to those trolls...but I went with it...I watched you and Anna get hurt" said Iduna in a teary voice._

 _"Please forgive us, please forgive your foolish parents for causing so much harm and hurt" they said._

 _Saying nothing Elsa ran over and hugged her parents, holding them close she cried._

 _At first they were shocked but soon they hugged her and held her crying. It seemed as though that it was all she needed._

 _She had been denying herself the time to mourn for she could not appear weak in front of others._

 _"Father...mother" said Elsa as they pulled away,_

 _"It will be okay Elsa, whatever you decide you will always have our support, do not sacrifice your happiness or love for others" said Agnaar,_

 _"You and your sisters happiness has always been the most important to us and that is what we want for the two of you" said Iduna softly._

 _"You and Anna are our pride and joy, you both will do amazing things in your own way, don't ever doubt that" said Agnaar "We are proud of you, both you and Anna",_

 _Elsa said nothing as she watched, for the first time being at peace..._

* * *

A small smile spread across Elsas face as she slept while the Firebird was sitting down next to Elsa watching her sleep. When he was sure that Elsa was asleep he hopped off of the bed and combusted, turning to his human form. Carefully and quietly Hans took Elsas shoes off and tucked her into bed before he left just as quietly as he had a thing or two to do.

Making his way out of the palace without getting spotted he headed to the stables where Sven and the cart was kept.

Opening the stable door Sven gave a reindeer cry of fright as he did not recognized he stranger.

"Shhh shh Sven shh" said Hans trying to calm the spooked reindeer down "It's me".

Sven continued to look wary but then looked shocked as he recognized the mans voice which sounded exactly like the firebirds.

"Yes it's me" said Hans patting the reindeer before reaching into his cloak and pulling out a handful of carrots and handing it over to Sven who was more than happy to have them.

Patting the reindeer again Hans admitted that as strange as it was he was starting to like reindeers, but he still prefers horses, maybe someday he will get one...some day.

Allowing Sven to eat Hans moved to the back of the cart and moved the tarp which covered the back.

Inside the cart there were two coffins where Iduna and Agnaars bones and some remains were in, sighting Hans placed his hand on both.

He was angry at them for what they did to Anna and Elsa, but he knew that the two were doing what they though was right, sadly they decided to follow wrong advice from the wrong people...

Foolish but well meaning parents...

Placing his hand on his chest where his heart is he muttered some words, an incantation which said "Life was short, full of sorrow, yet hardship shows rewards, the next life will be better, that is a promise".

He winced, the spell always hurt, like somebody was stabbing him in his chest, it hurt a bit more as he pulled his hand away.

In his hand there was a flame which was a white bluish in glow.

Letting it go he made it split in two and guided it to the two coffins.

Lights seeped into the coffins, making them glow slightly before vanishing.

Hans smiled weakly as it had effect, sure he could not revive them, it was against the rules, but he could give them reincarnation, maybe someday in the future they will return...be reunited with their daughters...and maybe be wiser when it came to raising them and being a family.

Turning he left as he did he felt his strength weakening.

He mumbled a curse as he leaned against one of the pens in the stables.

That spell always drained him a lot, but doing it for two at once seemed to drain him a whole lot more than before. Leaning against it for support he reached and opened the gate before he walked into the pen and closed it, making sure to lock it from the outside before collapsing on the pile of hay falling asleep instantly.

* * *

Waiking up Elsa place her hands on her heart, the dream played over and over in her head till she finally let tears fall.

Finally composing herself she got up, got cleaned and dressed, she had a funeral to plan, a proper one as her parents were finally back on Arendelle soil where they belong.

Turning she was going to ask the Firebird for help only to pause as she noticed that the Firebird was missing, then again he was an early riser, always up before the sun even rose.

"Wonder where he is" though Elsa before setting out to find him.

* * *

 _Arriving to Denmark H.C took Hans to meet an acquaintace of his who turned out to be the King of Denmark._

 _The king upon seeing his beloved author returned rejoiced and had a celebration in honor of H.C return._

 _When H.C told them about his escape and how Hans helped him the king was more than happy yet baffled upon that Hans was a bird and that he could talk._

 _After explaining the situation the king brought forth scientist and scholars from around the world to try and figure out what Hans was but all the scientist were left baffled as neither one of them had ever seen anything like him before._

 _Seeing that they held no answer H.C suggested that they travel as maybe somewhere in the world they would be ableto find out what Hans was._

 _So with permission of the king they were allowed to travel._

 _They went to many places, but no matter where they went or who they asked they wre nowhere close to finding out what Hans was._

 _Finally in the end they gave up and went back to Copenhagen where H.C went back to his home and resumed writting as all the travel and experience gave him inspiration for many new tales._

* * *

 _With a single flickering candle H.C sat down on his desk and resumed his writting again._

 _He prefered to write at night as he claimed that the night air and quiet helped him write._

 _While he did that Hans was sleeping next to the desk. Now much bigger than before Hans slept in a silk cushion which the King of denmark had sent him as a thank you present while the scarf he once slept in he had it bundle up and used as a pillow._

 _It was ideal, life was definetly better and Hans would have been happy living like this even if he remained a bird forever yet sadly soon he found that fate had other plans for him..._

 _Loud banging on the door jolted Hans from his sleep and startled H.C from his writting._

 _Looking at the clock the two were baffled as who would be up at this ungodly hour._

 _"Open the door!" The person demanded between angry loud knocks._

 _"We should not" said Hans growing fearful, even H.C as he made no movement to indicate that he was going to open the door as he reached for his walking stick which was nearby._

 _Sadly before he could even take the stick the door was kicked open as anonymous looking armed guards entered._

 _Withough saying a word both H.C and Hans were attacked as the guards descended upon them in a fury of punches and attacks._

 _They tried to fight back but were heavily outnumbered and soon H.C was shackled while Hans was captured and forced into a small cage which was then covered bu a black cloth not letting him see anything._

 _Fear raced through him as he felt them leaving and placing them into a cart or carrige which began to move to an unknown destination._

 _Where they were going Hans was not sure, but wherever they were going... it was not good..._

* * *

Slam! Hans was jolted awake and looked around wildly as he was disoriented for a while till he remembered he had fallen asleep in the stables.

"Firebird!" he heard,

"Elsa" he though before changing to his Firebird form, yes he wanted to show Elsa his true form, but this was hardly a good time.

"Yes?" He said as he got out of the stables to face her.

"Oh there you are... come on! We have a lot to do" said Elsa, nodding the Firebird followed.

* * *

The word spread through the nation, the bodies of Queen Iduna and king Agnaar we're recovered and funeral was taken place.

Putting on a mourning cloak and cap Elsa steeled herself, she had to be strong now for her sister, she can break down later when she was alone. But right now she needed to do this right, especially after everything that has happened between her and Anna, this could be a chance to mend a past mistake.

There was a light knock, turning at first she was startled but then recognize it was the Firebird...but...why were his feathers black?

"It's coal...I do not want to disrespect with my red and gold colors" said Firebird softly.

Elsa looked and smiled, happy to hear how considerate he was.

Walking over he pressed his head against her hand and said "If you need anything...company...strength...a shoulder to cry on...I am here...I will not leave your side unless you want me to".

Suddenly the Firebird grew tense as Elsa bend down and hugged him.

Tears wetted her cheeks as she whispered "Thank you", the Firebird said nothing but just wrapped is wings around her.

She needed this, she needed to mourn, to let go and maybe after this she will be able to find closure and move on, be stronger because of it.

* * *

Walking into the church Elsa braces herself, the church was not happy that she was bethride to the firebird even to the point neither he or she was allowed in church.

They were only allowed once for the Saint Lucia day but that was it...

So seeing them allow them into Church and not even glaring or looking at them disappointingly was a surprise for Elsa.

"I am truly sorry...but now...we can conduct a proper funeral and allow them to rest" said the Archbishop to Elsa,

"Thank you, I think this is what they would have wanted" said Elsa softly.

Turning to the Firebird he said "The bible Mathew verse once said Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" Bending down he said "Thank you for reminding us this...you are welcomed to church whenever you want" with that he turned and left.

Elsa and Firebird took their seats next to Anna and Kristoff before the ceremony began.

It was beautiful and sad, befit for their parents royal tittles, the whole time Elsa and Anna held hands, squeezing them to offer comfort to one another.

When the ceremony concluded they followed the procession outside to the king and queens final resting place, along the way Kristoff placed a hand on Anna's shoulder, to steady her as she walked, while the Firebird walked next to Elsa, he pressed his head against her side or spoke gentle words to comfort her.

Arriving to the resting spot the coffins were buried one next to the other and a final goodbye and prayer was said before they each went their ways.

Only Elsa, Anna and Kristoff stayed behind with the Firebird, walking closer Elsa sat down in front of them, walking over the Firebird pressed his head against her side and said "It will be okay...",

"Are they happy where they are?" asked Anna in a soft voice,

"I am sure they are" said Firebird "Their in a place where there is no sorrow, no hunger or pain, from there they will be reunified with their family and together they will watch over you both",

"How can you be sure? Nobody knows what happens after death" said Elsa softly, he smiled and said "I am sure because I have been there"

This stuns Elsa as she turned and stared, he nodded and said "It was only for a bit...but I saw it...it is a place too beautiful to describe...the kind of peace there is one which you will never imagine",

"If it was...why did you come back?" asked Elsa,

"Because it was not my time yet" said Firebird and added "I am glad too for if it was not because of that I would have never met you or Anna or any of my friends..."

Elsa smiled, she was not sure if the firebird was telling the truth or not, but regardless of it she was happy as it brought her hope, hope that someday she would see her parents again.

Getting up the group walked away together not noticing that the Council and the Duke were still there, watching...and not happy with the turn of events.

Now there was only one task left...one more and the Firebird would succeed. The very though of it made them angry.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, now from this chapter, there is only one more left before the grand reveal. How will that go? Well you will have to wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next one.**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Adept: I apologize for that, I do try my best. I do promise that the story will be beta later on. But hopefully you will continue to enjoy the rest of the story.**_

 _ **Cannon: I know.**_

 _ **Guest: Depends...**_

 _ **guest: Yes! And I promise the reveal will blow you away. I would tell you but that would be a huge spoiler.**_

 _ **Jacob Flores: Thank you so much. Glad you have enjoyed the story, hopefully you will enjoy the rest of the chapters which will be posted.**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: Yes! What will Elsa think or how will she react to it?...I would tell you but it would be a huge spoiler. lol**_

 _ **Yubima-chan: And it is very important as thanks to that Elsa will start to stand her ground more, think for herself, make her own decisions rather than being persuaded by others and do what makes her happy.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Night had come, everybody was in bed except of course some guards who were doing rounds through the palace to keep the inhabitants safe. Though it was supposed to be like that this night the guards were not the only ones wide awake.

In one of the many designated meetings rooms inside the palace council and the Duke of Weselton had decided to have an emergency meeting, the topic of to be discussed was about the Firebird and they were not happy.

"How could this have happened?!" growled the lead councilman as he paced back and forth on one spot,

"That bird has finished 2 of the 3 trials" said one of the lesser councilmen in a panicked tone,

"And to make matters worse the church is now supporting the union and the public adores that bird!" growled another in disgust, when the Church did not supported it meant that they would not be married, but now with the Church giving permission it meant they had lost another leverage to use against the bird and queen. With the public they tried to damage the Firebirds reputation by spreading false rumors, but that did not work as well as the people had seen him attached to the Queens hip almost every waking moment, plus seeing the queen so happy and all the positive changes made it impossible for them to believe that the Firebird was doing anything the false rumors said, the rumors further backfired when the bird somehow succeeded bringing back the remains of King Agnaar and Queen Iduna, this further validated the birds good nature causing them to ignore whatever rumor was heard at best and at worst they would fight back resulting in brawls with the lackeys that were hired to spread the false rumors.

"This is disgusting! It cannot happen! We cannot let Queen Elsa stoop so low as to marry a bird!" yelled another as he stood up and slammed his fist on the table in anger.

"But what can we do? He has won almost all the trials and to make matters worse it seems that the queen herself has fallen for the thing" said youngest councilman meekly, he remembered seeing Elsa spending more leisurely time with the Firebird, he even caught her hugging the bird, innocent gesture but regardless it showed the growing feelings between the two.

"Calm yourselves! There is still time! There is one more test" said the Duke trying to keep the control over the council.

"What if the birds passes it?! There will be nothing stopping the union!" said one of the lords outraged.

The Duke Weselton glared and said "It means nothing...just leave it to me...I will come up with another trial! This one he will not pass!".

"It better work" growled another one,

"It will!" snarled The Duke before turning to face a window, his eyes looking outside, but his mind calculating.

Despite the reassurance the group looked among them unsure, a lot of them wanted to get out of this mess before it got worse as they have noticed that the Firebird was obviously not an ordinary bird, but something of great power. What's worse of it is that Elsa now taking more and more control away from them, no longer was she the weak minded girl and it was all because of that bird thing!

Because of it they were loosing their power and influence over her!

"Just what we needed...it was bad enough that Princess Anna wants to marry an ice harvester and now the queen has a bird...when will this nightmare end?" Muttered a councilman as they decided to call it a night.

* * *

Days passed and it the more it did, the more changes there were. Elsa now could surely say that she was a Queen as she walked the halls in confidence, when she spoke nobody dared to interrupt or disobey her, she was finally listened to, respected and her decisions were not second guessed. So in all she had to admit that the Firebird finding her arrow was definitely a godsend. For surely if anybody else would have found her arrow she would not have gotten as far as she was able to.

Yet even with all the changes and advancements she made as a person there was one thing she was not able to do. Her magic... while the Firebird was always wanting to see what she can do and her limit she herself could never find herself comfortable to do it.

Seeing that he was not getting his way the Firebird began to insist upon it and it was getting to become very annoying, even more at night.

"Pssss! Elsa! Wake up!" A hushed voice said. For a moment Elsa found herself lost in time for she though that it had been her sister trying to wake her up just because the "sky was awake"

Opening her eyes she saw it was not her sister, but the Firebird,

"Firebird?" asked Elsa confused as she yawned.

"Come on Elsa, it's the perfect time" said Firebird as he latched unto her arm gently and began to try and pull her out of bed.

"For what?" yawned Elsa as she rubbed her eyes.

"For your magic" said Firebird "If we hurry we can make it to the North mountain and back before dawn",

"Why?" asked Elsa,

"Have you never wondered the full potential of your magic?" said Firebird "Are you not the least bit of curious to see what you can do?",

"No and I do not think I want to find out" said Elsa annoyed of having to say this over and over again as she turned to go back to sleep.

Firebird frowned as he saw that, he really wanted Elsa to do this so she will get comfortable with her magic. It was quite sad to see her always holding back, never using her abilities, fearing and hating them and herself in turn.

Then a smile spread cross his face as he turned and said "Your right, guess your magic is not all that impressive, I mean... making ice? That is boring, What can you do with ice? It's just water basically".

Hearing this made Elsas eyes open wide as she turned and flared at the firebird "Excuse me?",

"It's true, if you do not want to use them than it means that their not so important, oh well... guess I will be going by myself to admire my own magic which I believe is much more impressive than ice" said Firebird as he mentally smirked, hoping off the bed he counted in his mind 3...2...1

"Wait just a minute! My magic is better than yours!" said Elsa as she got up "Can you build castles with a flick of your wrist?",

"Can you?" said Firebird acting as if he did not believe her,

"Yes" said Elsa,

"Prove it" said Firebird crossing his wings.

"Fine, I will" said Elsa as she got up from bed and dressed.

"Worked like a charm" though Firebird with a smirk.

* * *

Wearing pants Elsa hang unto the Firebird talons as he flew them over forests and valleys till they reached the North mountain.

Landing there Elsa let go and ran her hand through her hair "I do not know how you managed to convince me to this",

"Because I am charming? Smooth talker? Handsome?" he said joking, smirking Elsa turned and said "I think it was that wine I drank before going to bed",

"Oh come on! Where is your sense of adventure?" said Firebird "Now let's see some magic" as he back away a bit to give Elsa the necessary space to work.

"Okay fine" said Elsa as she looked around to make sure they were alone before she moved her hand and made a snowman form out of her snow magic. Moving over the Firebird looked over it in a critical eye before saying pretending to be disappointed "Is that it? And you call yourself the snow queen?",

Hearing those words lit something inside of Elsa, her fighting spirit in a sense. She glared and smirked, oh she was so going to make him eat those words.

"Is that so? Watch this" said Elsa as she looked around and waved her hands making some stairs appear.

Walking over she touched it and smiled as they turned solid ice before she ran up the stairs elongating them as she ran up the stairs.

"Come on! You can do better!" said Firebird as he flew after her,

Elsa just smirked as she turned and stomped her foot making a floor appear with a snowflake pattern.

"Nice looking but not impressive" said Firebird landing next to her,

"Who said that I was done?" Said Elsa as she moved her hands, the floor rose as walls and floors appeared followed by patterns on the walls, fancy columns even a massive chandelier .

"There! Your doing it!" cheered the Firebird, that in turned made Elsa do more, she wanted to make sure he ate his words as she added detail to the walls and even changed the colors of the floor and walls.

The end result was a breathtaking castle made enterly out of ice. To say that the Firebird was speechless was something as he looked around with his beak open, the castle was elegant, had charm, it almost did not look like a castle for it was too beautiful and for a moment he wondered if he was in some kind of beautiful dream.

"Speechless?" said Elsa giggling as she found the Firebirds facial expression to be rather comical.

Shaking his head he just smirked and said "Okay, you won, you are indeed the snow queen",

"Don't your forget it" said Elsa whose smile went wider, hearing those words were like music to her ears.

"Trust me, I will not" said Firebird as he followed Elsa who gave him the grand tour of the ice castle.

As they walked he smiled very content listening then after a while he said "You need to do this more often".

Elsa tensed before looking and asking "Do what?",

"Your magic, it is amazing, whatever you touch you bring the beauty out of it" said Firebird as he gestured all around.

Looking down Elsa said "I doubt it...",

"Why?" asked Firebird sadly,

"My magic it... hurts...destroys...I...I just can't" said Elsa shaking her head.

"Elsa" said the Firebird softly as he walked over and placed his head on her hand "Whoever told you that is wrong, your magic does not hurt or destroy, you are an artist, magic is your paint, you bring out the beauty of things, your ice has brought nothing but joy and fun and you should not be ashamed of it",

"But my magic-",

"Ignore what was said about your magic, listen to me and Anna, to us you and your magic will never be evil, destroyers or anything" said Firebird "For the first time since we met...this moment...this is you... the real you, not the frigid strict queen, but Elsa... the sister, the noble heart, the artist, the kind, the selfless...that and your magic... is what makes you beautiful and you should not be hiding it".

Elsa stared shocked and said "But the people",

"If they do not love you then their the most blind people in the face of the earth, for who could not love a person like you" said Firebird then added softly "You need to love yourself Elsa, for your not a one in a million... your a one in a lifetime".

There was silence as the Firebirds words relayed in Elsa's mind over and over. The passion, the way he spoke it, it hit her in such a way that made her heart start beating a mile a minute. As she stared at the firebird, she did not see a bird at all, but somebody who like her sister has shown her the greatest love.

For a second it was as if the blinders had been taken off and for the first time in forever she could see clearly, clearer than she had ever seen in her life.

"Firebird" she whispered softly.

"Elsa...I need you to close your eyes" said Firebird.

"Why?" asked Elsa curious,

"Trust me" Firebird assures.

Normally Elsa would have not, but since he has kept his promises he has earned her trust so she did as she was told.

She closed her eyes,

"No peeking" instructed the Firebird as he shifted to his human form. Walking over to Elsa he hesitated, he felt his face turned red and his heart racing as he leaned over, wanting to kiss her very badly.

But just before his lips could even touch hers he stopped... it did not feel right to kiss her then and there...Yes he poured his soul out to her yet...

Pulling away he frowned, he could not do it...not yet... it was just not right to kiss her when he has not told her the whole truth... and this was not the right place for it, this was her time to shine, he did not want to ruin it by showing her the truth and telling her about his past.

"Some other time" he though, so changing back to his Firebird form he walked over and hugged Elsa.

Opening her eyes she simply smiled and hugged him.

"Thank you" she said and she meant it as he had given her the greatest gift she had ever recieved.

They held one another before turning to leave as they had to be back at the palace before sunrise.

* * *

The sun had risen and there was peace, quiet, it was just how Elsa wanted to be.

Sitting down next to a window she had spent a pleasurable hour conversing with the Firebird about books, philosophy and other manner of things.

It was quite nice really as she had never been able to speak to anybody else about much deeper topics, she had tried with Anna but her little sister had no interest in such topics as the carefree princess preferred to spend her days playing in the sun.

Now they were reading, while she read the latest must read poem book he was busy with an anthology of fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen.

Quite strange as he did not seem to fancy fairytales as he claimed that the stories of the brothers grimm were quite a bore to him.

Looking down at her own book and read

 _"I will always work to be worthy of your love, and I accept that neither of us is perfect._

 _I promise to stand by your side, wherever our lives will take us, for together, we will build a life far better than we could ever imagine on our own"._

"How is the book?" she heard the Firebird ask prompting her to lower it and say "It's good...and yours?",

"It's fine, though I read it because it's a way of seeing what my friend is up to" said Firebird,

"Friend?" asked Elsa curious,

"Yes, he and I go way back...look he even wrote this little one dedicated to me" said The Firebird as he opened the book and showed the poem to Elsa.

 _Beneath the tree of knowledge in the garden of paradise stood a rosebush. And here, in the first rose, a bird was born. His plumage was beautiful, his song glorious, and his flight was like the flashing of light. But when Eve plucked the fruit of the tree of knowledge, and she and Adam were driven from paradise, a spark fell from the flaming sword of the angel into the nest of the bird and set it afire. The bird perished in the flames, but from the red egg in the nest there flew a new bird, the only one of its kind, the one solitary phoenix bird. The legend tells us how he lives in Arabia and how every century he burns himself to death in his nest, but each time a new phoenix, the only one in the world, flies out from the red egg._

 _The bird darts about as swift as light, beautiful in color, glorious in song. When a mother sits beside her infant's cradle, he settles on the pillow and forms a glory with his wings about the head of the child. He flies through the room of contentment and brings sunshine into it, and he makes the violets on the humble cupboard smell sweet._

 _But the phoenix is not a bird of Arabia alone. In the glimmer of the northern lights he flies over the plains of Lapland and hops amid the yellow flowers in the short Greenland summer. Deep beneath the copper mountains of Falun, and in England's coal mines, he flies in the form of a powdered moth over the hymnbook resting in the hands of the pious miner. He floats down the sacred waters of the Ganges on a lotus leaf, and the eye of the Hindu maid brightens when she beholds him._

 _Phoenix bird! Don't you know him? The bird of paradise, the holy swan of song? He sat on the car of Thespis, like a chattering raven, flapping his black gutter-stained wings; the swan's red, sounding beak swept over the singing harp of Iceland; he sat on Shakespeare's shoulder, disguised as Odin's raven, and whispered, "Immortality!" into his ear; and at the minstrels' feast he fluttered through the halls of the Wartburg._

 _Phoenix bird! Don't you know him? He sang the Marseillaise to you, and you kissed the feather that fell from his wing; he came in the glory of paradise, and perhaps you turned away from him toward the sparrow that sat with gold tinsel on its wings._

 _The bird of paradise-renewed each century-born in flame, dying in flame! Your portrait in a frame of gold hangs in the halls of the rich, but you yourself often fly around lonely and misunderstood-a myth only: "The phoenix bird of Arabia."_

 _When you were born in the garden of paradise, in its first rose, beneath the tree of knowledge, our Lord kissed you and gave you your true name-poetry!_

After reading it Elsa frowned and asked "Firebird...Anna says how you know all these people and know royals...is it true or just tall tales?",

"It's true, why do asked?" asked Firebird cocking his head to the side,

"It just seems so...",

"Unbelievable? Yes, I do agree with you on that, but no it's not a lie, I have met them and I am friends with them" said Firebird as he went to put the book back.

As he did Elsa looked down and could feel her heart race a bit.

For the past couple of days she has been feeling that.

It was so strange as at first she wanted nothing to do with the bird and now...she actually looked foreword to spend time with him...even her life... as somehow the more time passed with the Firebird the less she could imagine spending her life without him.

"Your starring at me" said the Firebird as he seemed to notice so he turned to face her as he asked"Something wrong?".

Looking away Elsa said "No no, sorry my mind was elsewhere" the Firebird did not look convinced as he was going to say something but before he did Kai opened the doors and said "Queen Elsa, Duke Weselton and the Council of Arendelle requests a meeting with you".

Elsa frowned as she wondered what did they wanted before looking back to the Firebird and saying "Sorry that I have to leave",

"It's okay, see you at lunch?" asked Firebird, Elsa nodded yes.

What happened next, she was not sure what prompt her to do such a thing but she did regardless.

She walked over and kissed the Firebird, on the head but regardless she kissed the bird and much to her surprise she was not disgusted or anything like that, it felt nice, it made her happy.

Seems like it made him happy as well as he gave her an avian equivalent of a goofy grin as waved at her goodbye when she left.

* * *

Walking over to the study Elsa sighted before opening the door when she saw the council of Arendelle and the Duke of Weselton already gathered in the room and sat in their respective seats.

Behind Elsa was Anna and Kristoff as they decided to accompany Elsa after having run into her when she was making her way over to the meeting.

"What is going on?" asked/Demanded Elsa in an icy tone when she noticed the looks on their faces, she did not like the smug look on their faces and the desire to wipe it from their faces was very great, but she controlled herself reminding herself who was in charge.

"Ahh Queen Elsa, just in time" said the Duke with a smile "We were just discussing about your animals final trial".

Elsa glared something was up but decided not to let it show as she said "I do not tolerate you disrespecting him, he is my fiancé and I expect you to treat him with the same respect as me, for once we are married he shall be my consort".

Hearing that made Anna happy as it further proved her sisters feelings, she even felt silly for even doubting her sister for a second.

"Oh I would not know that, but forgive our presumption" said the Duke as the council smirked further proving to Elsa that they were indeed planning something.

She nodded and said "Continue",

"For this last task...your beloved Firebird has to get approval" said the Duke "Of your family, your uncle King Frederik and Queen Arianna of Corona",

As soon as he did Elsa felt a stab in her chest, what a dirty trick! It was not a fair trial, it was not even a trial at all! It was a trap for she knew they would never approve! Arianna might approve, but Frederik would never give his approval!

"That is not fair!" yelled Anna letting her voice be heard,

"It is the trial! Take it or leave it!" said the Duke crossing his arms looking even more smug than before "There will be a ball to celebrate your coronation, all of the royals including your aunt and uncle, if he somehow can get them to approve then the trial is won".

Elsa gripped her gloves, but said nothing more. She was fearful, this might as well be throwing in the towel as there was not even a remote possibility that uncle Frederik would approve.

* * *

Slowly walking back to the room Elsa felt each step was heavier than the last as she made her way inside and closed the door behind her.

"What happened Elsa?" asked the firebird worried as he noticed the look on her face as she walked over and sat on the bed, not saying a word.

"Why are you so sad?" ask Firebird gently as he got closed, placing his head under her hand in an effort to comfort her.

"Its...the council delivered the final trial, they want you to get my uncle and aunts approval at my coronation ball" said Elsa as she was upset, but not with the Firebird, but with trial as she was sure that this was the one which he would fail.

The firebird looked confused as he was not sure why she was upset about it at first then his eyes widen with realization.

"Your ashamed of me" he said sadly as he bend his head as he turned to leave but stopped when Elsa walked over and hugged him and said "Please its nothing like that my Firebird, you have been supportive, helpful and good and yet... my uncle is very strict and over protective, I am afraid that he may not approve and we will loose the trial because of it".

"I understand" he said softly even a bit relieved to know that she was not ashamed of him, for a moment there was a silence before he said "Go to the ball alone",

Elsa opened her mouth to protest but the firebird said "I will follow shortly after...trust me" with that he left, flying out the window as he usually did.

Leaving Elsa unsure of what would happen. All she could do now was pray and trust.

 _ **To be continue...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Now! The upcoming chapter! Will it be the grand reveal!? Will Firebird/Hans chicken out?! Will the council and the Duke will win?!**_ _ **Well you will have to wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next one.**_


	16. Chapter 16

**_Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better._**

 _ **A**_ _ **ny way, THE moment has arrived, THE moment you have all been waiting for! I hope it was well worth the wait! So please read on and remember to leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

The queens coronation aniversary celebration, it was a big deal for Arenndelle as everybody went all out as decorations were set up along the made up outdoor dance floors, fireworks, everything!

It was a sight to add to it was the influx on the economy as people found it a perfect time to get new outfits for the occasion.

Though there were always a few who did not want to...

Entering the room to Kristoff sighted as he held the outfit for the party, which he was reluctant to wear, "The things I do for Anna" though Kristoff with a sight as he set it aside, but before he could even start to take his shirt off he was startled when Anna walked in, looking around she closed the doors.

"Anna?" asked Kristoff confused as to why she was acting so strangely, as if she did not want to be,

"Sorry had to make sure we were not being overheard" said Anna as she went about the room, checking windows to make sure they were closed and that there was nobody but her and Kristoff in the room "Like they say the walls have ears",

"Okay? What do you want to say?" asked Kristoff as he was sure that what she had to say was important if she was taking such precautions to make sure that they were not heard..

Reaching the pocket of her dress Anna took out and held out the watch.

"I found this" said Anna handing it to him.

Confused Kristoff took into his hand looked over it, it was somewhat humble looking, but knew it was expensive as it was gilded in gold, finding the inscription he read "Still waters run deep?",

"It belongs to the Firebird" said Anna,

"Are you sure?" asked Kristoff as it was such a strange thing for the Firebird to have, human or not,

"Trust me I am sure" said Anna confident and added as she took it back "I asked a few jewelers and they told me who the owner of the watch is".

Kristoff remained quiet as he though about what was said and asked "Who does the watch belong to?", Anna smiled and spilled the beans.

* * *

Making his way through the halls while making sure that he was not watched was the Firebird, stopping, he looked around before entering an empty guest bedroom. Closing the door behind him he looked around the room to make sure he was alone.

The room was small, empty saved for a bed, desk, chair an unused fireplace. Small but alone, that was how he wanted it.

Conbusting himself he turned to his human form before removing the hood and cloak and walking over to the desk.

Draping the cloak over the chair he sat on it and began to think. A part of Hans was scared as he knew that time was coming fast...he had to show the truth at the ball, no more no less, if he delayed it any longer Elsa would be hurt and he would loose any affection he earned.

Hans was scared, the past of the other fateweavers, their deaths, heartaches, the destruction which followed because of it. By doing what he was going to do there was so much he would risk... but Anna was right, he could not keep hiding, if he loved Elsa...he had to take a risk...

"I guess this is it..." though Hans before he heard chirp like sounds, looking he smiled a little when he saw that outside of the window were the will o wisps.

Walking over Hans opened the window allowing them in.

The light blue fairy creatures entered the dark room, making it shine as if he was among stars.

Then one attracted his attention, it carried a 2 letters.

"Thank you" said Hans as he took the letter, the first one he chose to open was ivory colored with some green leaves painted on it, sealed on the back with a brown wax seal with a flowery style S. Noticing this Hans wince a bit as he immediately knew from who it was.

It was from Sylvia.

"She is going to kill me..." though Hans as he opened he letter and winced as he read what was inside.

 _"HANS WESTERGAARD!_

 _HOW DARE YOU LEAVE THE UNDERGROUND WITHOUT TELLING ANYBODY WHERE YOU WERE GOING! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED SICK WE ARE!? WE THOUGH THAT YOU WERE KIDNAPPED OR WORSE! I DEMAND THAT YOU BRING YOUR FEATHER TAIL BUTT BACK TO THE UNDERGROUND SO I CAN KILL YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS FOR MAKING US ALL WORRY!_

 _Signed your soon to be ex best friend Sylvia Arbores_

 _Ps: if you do not answer this letter soon you'd better be dead! If not then I will find you and I will kill you!"_

Hand winced again as he swore he could hear her screaming at him through the letter. Sylvia did tended to have a nasty temper from time to time.

Closing that one he opened the second one, this one was pure white with a gold trim styled in the form of ivy vines, it seal wax was a monogram of an A and V put together.

"Victoria and Albert" though Hans as he opened the letter and read it:

 _"Firebird, Hans, my brother dearest:_

 _It has been so long since your last visit. How have you been?_

 _Me and my darling Victoria know that you will be okay wherever you are, but regardless of that fact we cannot help but worry and miss you._

 _You are more than just a friend to us, you are our brother, our family, yes we do not have a blood bond, but our bond is stronger and thicker than any bond of blood._

 _Our home is and will always be open to you, our family._

 _Please come and visit when your able to, for we miss you terribly and please answer this letter as soon as possible._

 _Your brother Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emmanuel."_

Attached to it was a small dried up violet.

Closing the letter Hans walked back to the desk and sat down again before he reached into the pocket which was sowned inside of the cloak.

From it he took out some parchment paper, an envelope, ink pot and a feather.

Opening the pot he bit his finger a bit causing it to bleed before allowing the blood to fall on the pot, once full he stirred it with the feather pen and whispered an incantation which translated to "Only those allowed will see what I have written"

The blood inside of the ink pot turned bright red before turning into a gold color.

Taking out the pen Hans wrote on the parchment paper, the letters he wrote were gold at first before turning black then fading away to nothing.

When done writing the letters he placed them in individual envelopes along with an invitation before sealed them both and handing them to the will o wisp with the order of "Send this to Sylvia Arbores and Albert and Victoria please".

With letters in hand the Will o wisp left the same way they came to fulfill the mission given to them.

Once the very last one left Hans closed the window before he left the room, soon the very big day would arrive.

"Hopefully Elsa will not be too mad at me" though Hans as he closed the door, but before he could even leave he suddenly heard "Prince Hans Westergaard of the Southern isles"

Hearing that made him freeze, never he though that he would hear his name in Arendelle as nobody there knew his name. Turning to where he heard the voice he saw it was Anna.

"Is that your name?" asked Anna as she walked closer,

"I... how?" asked Hans shocked as he wondered how did she even know, he was careful with hiding his identity, saying nothing Anna took out and held out his missing watch, taking it he sighted and said "Yes...",

"Your father never killed you did he?" asked Anna softly,

"No... but he would have..." said Hans then shook his head "I was saved by an enchantress, she cursed me, but my cursed turned out to be a gift",

"You became a fateweaver?" asked Anna as she rememebred what Kristoff had told her about the nodded yes.

"I heard about your father" said Anna and she shivered as she heard the stories of abuse and evil then added "I am sorry",

"Don't be... I made it out alive and well while others did not" said Hans sadly as he remembered...

* * *

 _A jolt woke Hans from his sleep, looking around he panicked when he saw he was in a cage. A small one as he could beraly fit inside much less lie down comfortably._

 _He moved and flapped desperately trying to escape but was unable to, he could not even see where he was as there was a black tarp covering the cage._

 _Suddenly there was talking,_

 _"Yes yes, the filthy peasant had it in his posession" said a voice "As soon as I figured out it belonged to your family I sent word",_

 _"I thank you, you will have a reward for returning what belongs to the westergaard family" hearing that other voice Hans froze even more, he knew that voice._

 _The tarp was pulled off, sure enough he was right..._

 _It was his father..._

 _He reached to touch Hans only for Hans...maybe t was a reflex or terror pecked his hand as if to say "Don't do that"._

 _"Spirited..." said Stephen as he opened the cage and grabbed unto Hans roughly._

 _Hans flapped and struggled but stopped when Stephen yelled "Stop struggling!" And squeezed him tightly hurting him._

 _Hans froze afraid, Stephen smirked and walked away._

 _As he did he passed rows upon rows of cells with prisenors. They were hurt, malnourished and beaten, some didn't even look alive!_

 _Hand stared as he had never seen such horror in his life, true he had become aware of his fathers true nature as a monarch not the ones he portrayed himself as absolute ruler but that of a tyrant...but this...he never would have been able to imagen it was that bad._

 _"You do not have to worry about that...so long as you obey me" said Stephen (this is where H.C later gets the inspiration for the nightingale but well...very sanitized and different ending)._

 _Walking up the stairs Hans was blinded at the sunlight but once it cleared up he saw he was in one of the main halls._

 _Stephen walked over to the throne room where there was a person waiting, said person had a golden chain with a tiny shackle on it._

 _Realizing what it was Hans struggled and flapped but was held down as Stephen shackled it against his talon and let go._

 _Hans tried to fly away but emediatly was pulled back by Stephen...there was no escape..._

 _"Good" said Stephen as this was what he wanted before picking Hans up and holding him in his hand._

 _"Listen here bird...seeing that you can understand me...the deal here is this... I own you! There for you obey me and my commands! Disobey me and there will be a consequence, do as you are told and your life here will be pleasant, understood?" Hans said nothing but stared in terror._

 _"Understood?!" yelled Stephen as he shook his fist hurting Hans._

 _"Ow! Stop! Yes yes!" cried Hans,_

 _"So you do talk and understand...perfect" said Stephen as he walked away to the back gardens._

 _There was a maze and at the center of the maze was a giant bird cage which Hans had never seen before, inside was filled with all manners of exotic plants, trees with fragrant fruit and bushes with flowers along with a lake._

 _Opening the door with a key Stephen walked inside and closed the cage behind him._

 _"This will be your home from now on" said Stephen as he undid Hans shackles. Hans took off and hid among the trees._

 _Stephen just laughed before leaving... the door closed behind him and locked..._

 _He was trapped...trapped in the hands of his tyrant father...and his friend H.C all he could do is pray he would be alright..._

* * *

 _Days passed, each one worse than the last as Hans was exposed to the cruelty which was his father._

 _His father would smite men, old and young, woman, children, it did not matter while Hans was forced to watch._

 _He cried and begged his father to stop, but his cries fell on deaf ears, his brothers would sometimes join in on it._

 _It made Hans sick to realize that this man was king, a king or a queen was supposed to protect their people and their kingdom. Yet he did quite the opposite._

 _The tortures got worse and soon Hans realized why, his father wanted him to cry, to see, to harvest his tears._

 _Why? Hans was not sure but was he was sure of is that he had to find a way to stop this madness and free the prisenors...somehow...someway..._

* * *

"What will you do?" asked Anna interrupting those horrible memories as she walked over, he sighted and said "I will show her the truth", there was more silence then Anna asked "What happens after this?",

"I am not sure...it can go either way...but what matters is that Elsa needs to know and that after the ball..." he paused then smiled at her reassuringly "There will be a happily ever after"

* * *

Time passed and the night of the Ball arrived, inside celebrating were all the nobles and royalty of Scandanavia along with some surprising guest. The rulers of Spain, Denmark, Southern France, Germany even Queen Victoria and her consort Albert arrived surprising everybody when they sent letters expressing their thanks for being invited and that they would arrive.

How did they know and why did they wanted to go to the ball Elsa did not know, but could not refuse them.

Right now standing outside the door of the ballroom of the Arendelle castle Elsa waited nervously for her turn to be announced and let into the ballroom, every now and then she looked around for any sign of her missing Firebird whom she had not seen either claw or feather for a while now, true he said he would arrive a little late, but she still could not help but feel uneasy and nervous,

"Why has he not shown up yet?" said Elsa impatiently,

"Calm down Elsa, I am sure he will be around soon" said Anna, who was dressed in a vibrant green and blue dress, she wore the spring jewelry set the Firebird made as it complemented her dress rather well, she followed her sisters pacing trying to ease her nerves,

"Ya, its not like he would miss this as he knows how important it is to you" said Kristoff as he pulled on his coat, he wore a very expensive suit which made him look like every bit of a noble man he would be,

"I know, I know, I can't help it" said Elsa as she clutched her hands trying to keep herself together and controlled as her power was acting up making the room cold.

Moving she looked at her dress, it was a dress which was a pure white snow dress, it was fashioned into the latest style and the embroidery was icy blue making it pop with a bit of a train. The jewelry she wore was the ice set which the Firebird made for her along with the crown which she moved a bit to make sure it was perfectly placed on her head.

Then she froze when the doors opened and a voice announced "Her imperial royal highness Queen Elsa of Norway and her husband to be Firebird"

Swallowing thickly Elsa turned and entered the room, as soon as the guest saw her alone they began to whisper to one another.

The Duke smirked as he could use this to further humiliate the Queen into submission.

Ignoring them Elsa stood tall as she walked over and stood besides the rulers, once she was there the court bowed down/curtsied to the rulers before the ball was allowed to begin.

Drinks were poured and appetizers were passed on while the people danced and made merry.

"So Queen Elsa, where is your husband? I would like to bea...I mean meet him" inquired King Frederic curious as he being Elsa's and Anna's uncle he had the right to meet their loves and protect them from unwanted as he was sure that was what Agnaar would have wanted. Especially with the rumors he heard about her having to marry a bird.

"He will be around" said Elsa as she looked around praying he would show up,

"Maybe he is still busy getting ready" suggested one of the councilman rather deviously,

"In the bird bath outside the palace" laughed the Duke along with the council. Upon hearing that Arianna and Frederic eyes widen, they had heard of the firebird from Anna's letters but though/prayed that she was merely playing a joke on them or something.

"Excuse us?" asked Albert, both he and Victoria looked angry along with the German, Spanish and French rulers, but why Elsa could not understand,

"Her husband is a bird, a bird with abilities, but a bird... an animal none the less" said the Duke,

"What did you call him?" asked Victoria trying hard not to hiss,

"An animal, it is what he is right" said the Duke, there was silence as the rulers stared in anger before Albert finally spoke "The Firebird, whom you call animal is my brother" upon hearing that the council and the Dukes smug looks left their faces quickly.

"He is our friend and we will not allow you to disrespect him" added the Spanish king, the male group looked like they wanted to attack the council and the Duke with their bare hands while their wives looked at them as if they were lower than the dirt beneath their feet. This shocked Elsa, she did knew from the Firebird that he knew them, but the way they spoke about him was as if he was more than just an acquaintance or friend, like he was family to them.

Soon shock turned to panic as Elsa immediately knew that if something was not done there would be an all out war among rulers soon.

Then all of a sudden, as if giving her a solution there was a knock on the door where the rulers entered through, the rulers stopped as the knock had interrupted the chattering. In silencing the council and the Duke all looked at one another, they were all there, nobody was missing..

The knocks persisted, the servants looked wondering who was on the other side as everybody was present.

"That must be Hans, fashionably late as always" said Victoria surprising Elsa with the casualty she said it, as if it was something she knew personally and...Hans... who is this Hans?

The Duke barely able to keep himself from hiding a smirk said out loud "I bet he is going to fly in as soon as the doors open", he could not wait to see the faces of the rulers of Corona when they see the firebird fly in.

"Open the door" said Frederic the rest nodded in agreement so Elsa motioned the servants to open it.

Nodding the servants opened the double doors, by now everybodies attention was on the doors as they opened, none more so than the council and the Duke as they expected a bird to come flying in while Elsa began to wonder if it was too late to give up, surely this trial Firebird will not be able to pass.

But was glad she did not as into the room came not a bird, but a person. He was a handsome young fellow, somewhere around his early twenties. He was comely, gorgeous even – with chiseled features defined by a strong jawline and high cheekbones framed by a well-groomed coif of auburn hair _._ He was dressed in fine garments befitting of royalty, a royal suit of charcoal black with red flame designs embroidered on the cuffs of his sleeve and edges of his coat, a red sash tied around his waist along with a sword. All in all, he cut an imposing figure.

"Who is he?" Elsa heard one of the councilman say, "Never seen him before" whispered the Duke.

The stranger walked over, Elsa froze a bit as he took her hand and said "I apologize for being so late, I wanted you, your family and friends to see me at my best" before kissing it,

"Who are you?" asked Elsa,

You don't recognize me Elsa?" he asked, Elsa said nothing as she stared at the stranger face, the more she looked the more she realized that there was something very familiar about him, his voice...his eyes... which were his most striking attribute with their rich verdant shade and piercing gaze not unlike...

"Eyes" though Elsa as she stared, never had she seen such green eyes before...the only one who she had seen that were identical were... her eyes widen as she realized why they were so familiar...

"It can't be, you cannot be..." said Elsa out loud in shock,

"It is...I am the firebird...Prince Hans Westergaard of the Southern Isles, Phoenix Prince and Fateweaver of the Underground Kingdom" said the Firebird/Hans, as soon as that name was spoken there was a shock through most of the council and attending guests.

What was more shocking it was not known, that the Firebird was now human or that said Firebird turned human claimed to be the missing 13th southern isle prince.

The Westergaars had been considered dead for many years, all having died in an assassination at the hands of their own people while the the youngest of the Westergaar Hans was rumored to have been murdered by the hands of his father yet here he was, a stranger claiming that he was said child who was supposedly murdered many years ago. Though those who knew the family admitted he did had many identical physical characteristics present in the Westergaard family such as the shape of the chin, nose and eyes.

"Hans" said Elsa saying his name unsure whether he really was the Firebird or not, never she would know how much happiness Hans felt at her saying his name. Meanwhile the Duke and the council stared as they came upon the same conclusion either this person was the Firebird or the Firebird hired somebody to pose as him.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you" said Arianna deciding to speak before Frederic said anything.

"The pleasure is all mine your majesties, Elsa has spoken very highly about you both" said Hans bowing to them respectfully,

"I hope its all been good things" said Arianna laughing,

"Well I do" began Frederic but Arianna elbowed him to keep quiet,

"It was about time you showed up, you know better than to keep friends waiting" teased Victoria lightly,

"Sorry Queen Victoria, but you know me, I always enjoyed making a grand entrance" said Hans,

"Please call me Victoria, you and me have been friends for years" said Victoria just as she did a servant announced that dinner was ready.

Turning the group left in pairs, turning Hans held out his arm, Elsa stared unsure before placing her hand on it and they walked together.

Arriving to the dinning room they took their respective seats, walking over Hans pulled a chair for her to sit down, which she did, once she was on her seat he took his own seat next to her.

Taking a cup her eyes strained on this stranger...this..Hans...whom claimed to be the Firebird.

"Is this really you Firebird or did you hire somebody to pose as you" though Elsa as she took a sip from her wine cup.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Well that went well...so far... but I do not think Elsa is okay with this...not one bit. Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**_ _ **Well you will have to wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next one.**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter where we will find out how Elsa may react and what she will do now that she has seen Hans human form. So please sit back, relax, enjoy a good read and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Soft clinks were heard as the guest ate their dinner, some soft whispers which Elsa was deaf to as she was still in shock of what had been revealed to her. Every now and then to the man who sat next to her as her supposed fiancé Firebird. He spoke to her uncle and aunt who were sitting close to him, what they were talking about she was not sure, but they seemed to be having a good time as they spoke.

This person, this Hans, was he really the Firebird? or was he somebody the Firebird hired to pose as him? And if this Hans was the Firebird...his human form...why did he hide it from her?

The very though about it made her feel dizzy, she placed the cup down as she decided not to drink any wine.

"Do you feel okay?" she heard, turning her blue eyes met his green ones, her hands grew tense when he placed a glove hand gently on her.

"Yes" whispered Elsa,

"Isn't that sweet?" cooed Arianna,

"Yes" said Victoria with a small smile then added "Your so lucky Queen Elsa", hearing that made Elsa blush a bit as she looked down trying not to show that she was blushing.

"No, its is me who is lucky, she is truly wonderful" said Hans as he turned and smiled at her making her heart race,

"What are you doing?! You don't even know who this person is! What if he some stranger?!" Elsa scolded herself "But what if he is not?" said another side of her "Look closely, he has a lot of mannerisms which the firebird has, its impossible to imitate" and looking she had to agree. She noticed how he would move the plate a bit as they waited for the next food course and his preference for wine, the Firebird hates merlot and she could tell this person hated it as well as she could notice how he barely winced as he took a sip from his cup.

After dessert Albert asked "Hans, remember the song you sang for me and my darlings wedding reception?",

"How can I forget? You two abandoned me with that crazy relative of yours" said Hans slightly irritated,

"How were we supposed to know she was hitting the wine very hard that night?" said Victoria innocently, Hans just gave her a look which suggested he did not believe her at all,

"Either way, we were thinking that maybe Queen Elsa would like to hear a song or two from you" said Albert changing the subject,

"I rather not" said Hans,

"Come on, just one song" said Anna joining in with a grin,

"No, no thank you" said Hans insisting,

"Actually I would like to hear" Elsa asked after a while as she turned and looked at Hans, he seemed to hesitate before nodding his head and saying "Alright my dear", getting up from his sitting position he walked over to the musicians which were standing nearby and whispered something to them. They nodded before they began to play some music which somewhat reminded Elsa of a lullaby.

 _Your eyes see but my shadow_

 _My heart is overflowing_

 _There's so much you could come to know_

 _Your content not knowing_

 _Tenderly_

 _You could see my soul_

 _Here in the dark_

 _I only touch you in my dreams_

 _But will you ever hear my heart?_

 _The way it calls to you as if your name was branded on the very soul of me_

 _It's calling like a child who's lost his way_

 _"I'm here, please say you hear me calling"_

 _Please say you see me_

 _Please say you hear me_

 _Please give my heart a home_

 _Don't leave me here all alone._

Upon finishing there was silence, amazed was not even enough of a word to describe as both song and sound had a huge impact on the group as some held their loved ones hands tightly, others watery eyes as they were determined not to shed a tear.

Sadly it seems that the Duke was not moved as he looked like he wanted to explode in anger, he wanted to say something, but kept quiet in fear of retaliation.

With an elegant bow Hans went back to his seat, before he sat down he whispered to Elsa "I hope it pleased you", Elsa did not answer as she was too stunned to speak.

Soon the chattering and such resumed followed by a bit of dancing, though Elsa did not dance as she just stood by and watched, next to her Hans seemed content to do just stay besides her. There was no more words, this was fine as Elsa had many questions running through her head, even emotions which were conflicting and got even worse every time she looked at Hans the supposed Firebird.

* * *

The ball ended around 3 in the morning and Elsa was exhausted, her feet ached from all the standing she did. Escorting her was Hans as they made their way to her room, which was good as yes she was tired but she wanted answers.

Arriving he closed the door behind them while he did Elsa took off her shoes before facing him, there was nothing said as first as they just stared at one another, this of course was odd as before Elsa had to look down to speak to the Firebird, but now she had to look up as he was quite taller than she was, then there was also the question she had yet did not know how to say or even begin the conversation.

"Is something wrong my dear?" asked Hans, this gave her back the power to speak along with anger.

Crossing her arms she looked angry and demanded "Who are you?!",

"I already told you, I am-" began Hans,

"Don't lie to me! Did the Firebird ask you to pose for him or something?" demanded Elsa then her eyes flashed with worry before she gripped her hands and demanded "Did you do something to the Firebird?! Where is he?! What did you do to him?! If you hurt him in any way I will-",

"Elsa its me! I am the Firebird!" said Hans as he reached for her only to be slap him across the face, it hurt and burned as he could feel the cold from it, strange enough it reminded him of that time Anna punched him so he would hate to think how much more it would have hurt had Elsa punched him.

"Don't you dare touch me! You will tell me where the Firebird is right now!" demanded Elsa angrily,

"Its me!" said Hans as he reached , this time grabbing her hands, rough first but then gently "Its me, its me, its me" his tone got gentle as did his grip before he let go of her, once he did he reached into his coat. For a moment Elsa tensed as she though that he had a weapon on him or something, but found he did not as he pulled out a small..rag?..

Holding it Hans muttered something and the "rag" grew and shaped till it was a red cloak with gold flame motifs on it, putting it on he was immolated with flames, Elsa screamed and back away as she watched the flames consume his form, when they vanished Hans was gone, in his place was the Firebird.

Her eyes were opened wider than she though as the reality hit finally hit her, Hans and the Firebird were one and the same which meant...

"Firebird... Hans..." Elsa said as the shock wore off and was replaced by rage as she realized he had lied to her and had been lying to her since they met, made her think that he was a bird when he could clearly turn human.

"How long?" growled Elsa,

"Too long it seems" said Hans turning back to his human form then sighting he added "I am sorry",

"Why?!" growled Elsa,

"I..." he sighted and shook his head before saying "Tonight is not the night, your tired and need your rest" with that he turned to leave only to stop when Elsa shot ice at the door, blocking it and keeping Hans from leaving,

"No! I want answers now!" demanded Elsa as she marched up to him "You will tell me why you hid this from me and I will not let you leave till you answer my questions".

Sighting he rubbed the back of his neck and said "I did it for both selfish and unselfish reasons...", Elsa said nothing as she listened, depending on his answer she may forgive him for lying to her.

"The selfless reason was for your sister and Kristoff" said Hans "Had the council known the truth about my human form, who I am they would have used that as an excuse to marry off Anna to a prince just because your marrying one".

Elsa frowned as she though about it but knew it was very true that the council would have done that.

"My selfish reason...I guess you could call it my fear..." said Hans,

"So fear gave you the brilliant idea that hidding your true self from me" said Elsa crossing her arms angrily.

Hans paused a moment, lowering his head he said "Its a curse really...something all phoenix before me have",

"A curse?" asked Elsa for a moment feeling scared for him, true she was mad, but she would never wish him ill after he had helped her,

"Yes, you see when a couple is fated to be they get married, but sometimes its not always like that, sometimes one of the pairs either does not want to or wants to use the other for selfish reasons, pure sentiment and true love is essential for the bond, if there is non then eventually the bond gets corrupted eating away anything good till there is nothing left of the person" said Hans, for a moment he paused, it was clear that this was a subject he did not like to talk about but he continued either way "That's how all the other Firebirds/Phoenixes before me died...and following their death disasters happened",

"What kind of disasters?" asked Elsa almost afraid of asking,

"Too many bad, too many deaths...the fall of Egypt, the destruction of Pompeii, the Black plague, the great fire of London...those are some among too many" said Hans softly "Knowing this I though if I could get somebody to look pass my flaw of being a bird, then that person loved me for real and I would somehow break the curse, the cycle..." he then looked up at her and gave a small smile "In a sense its ironic, I got what I wanted when I was a naïve child, I got power and riches, but in the end I realized I did not wanted that, I just wanted to be loved and have somebody care for me... but I can't have it because having what I though I wanted before made it hard to tell apart who is genuine or not... they love me or care because of either of my power or beauty...can you relate?",

Upon hearing that whatever anger Elsa had left, being a young maiden queen she always had people who went after her for her throne or money or beauty or all three at the same time. So she could not fully blame him for it as she could relate very much. Then there was also the fact that within those reasons he was selfless for she was sure that anybody else would have just revealed the truth and not cared about how it would have affected her sister.

"I am sorry... this is a topic I really don't like to talk about... especially with how the last one ended up..." he shook his head "The fated spouse of the past Firebird used him to gain power... that one was the reason why the year without summer happened, it would have been worse had the firebird not been killed...it was tragedy really".

Tragety it was Elsa agreed, just knowing that Hans was stuck in such a cycle, she now fully understood why and she could not blame him for taking such actions.

"If you want me to leave then I shall, your not obligated to marry me if you do not want to" said Hans,

"Wait, but I promised... I though you" said Elsa confused,

"Yes, but I am sorry for I lied...I could not tell you that you were free not to marry me as I did not want the council to figure it out... but I will let you know now that I do not like to make anybody do anything against their will" said Hans "That's why I never set a date or anything for the wedding, if by the end of the trials I did not gain your love I would have broken the engagement, for if I did after the trials are passed you would be secure on your throne and be free to rule either as a maiden queen or not and Anna and Kristoff's engagement would be safe".

Looking down Elsa though then said "Thank you for protecting my sisters happiness",

"It was a privilege really, I admit that I am jealous of you for having such a loving sister" said Hans,

"Thank you" said Elsa, with a bow Hans turned and waved his hand, thawing the door before opening,

"Where are you going?" asked Elsa,

"To find a room, it is not proper for a man and woman to share a room before they are married" said Hans then added "I will see you tomorrow".

Elsa nodded as he left, once he did and the door was closed Elsa sat down, she had a lot to think about as she had to make a choice, did she wanted to continue the engagement or break it? It was clear he was giving her that choice, but it was hard, he had lied to her by withholding the truth about his human form, but with his reasons she could understand why...but then again what else did he lied about? Did he lie about anything else?

It was hard, but a choice had to be make and for the most of the night Elsa was awake thinking before coming to a decision.

* * *

Walking down the hall Hans turned back to his Firebird form, not feeling tired he made his way to one of the many living rooms of the palace. Finding the portrait room Firebird made his way inside. The room was beautiful but his mind was too preoccupied to admire it as he walked over to the fireplace and sat next to it.

Starring at flames usually helped him calm down and think, it was strange habit, but was effective. Rubbing his forehead he began to second guess himself, had he been too impulsive by showing the truth to the ball? Should he had shown her privately before the ball even started so she would not be too shocked?

"I guess its too late for that" though the Firebird as he was sure that he had lost whatever affection she had for him because of this... even if he had his reasons for not showing Elsa the truth sooner.

Moving so he was closer to the fire he relished the warmth when he heard somebody enter the room. Turning his head to see who it was that entered it took everything the Firebird had no to glare as the Duke walked inside.

"Having a good night milord" said the Duke in a tone which was more of a sneer than anything else,

"I was till you showed up" though Firebird but simply said "I am thank you" he could easily guess why the Duke was there and what he would say next,

"So...your still going to be married to Elsa" said The Duke, Firebird frown as it seems his guess was correct so far.

"It's queen Elsa to you and yes" said Firebird, the Duke smirked before laughing.

"What's so funny?" growled Firebird not finding anything funny,

"Sorry it's just that, I still cannot believe that you still believe that a wedding will happen between you and Elsa" said the Duke,

"And why should it not happen?" growled Firebird even if he knew better than to ask that,

"Why should it not? Your a bird, an animal, why would a Queen want to marry an animal?" said the Duke,

"Are you blind or did you just forget to polish your monocle? As you saw in the ball I am much more than a bird" said the Firebird as his anger was boiling, the Duke better not go where the Firebird thinks he is going with this conversation, for if he did... Heaven have mercy on him cause the Firebird will not show him any.

"Let me give you an advice...I suggest you leave back to whatever desert or place you came from and stop waisting Elsa's time...you and I both know that if it were not for the arrow challenge she would have never picked you to begin with and as for that little stunt you did at the ball" said the Duke with a cruel smile "It was very pathetic that you hired some poor sap to pose as you and sell that stupid story of being the 13th prince of the Southern isles",

"I am not leaving for you know nothing! And who says its a lie and that the person in the ball and I are not one and the same!" growled Firebird furious as the Duke was stepping into very dangerous territory,

"And who would believe that? Also while we are at it, how much did you bride the rulers so they could be on your side?" said the Duke then shrugged "No matter, if you do not leave and Queen Elsa does not dispose of you then I guess I will have to take care of you myself",

"Are you threatening me?" hissed Firebird his magic started to react as it made the area around him grow hot, the flames on the fireplace began to dance around ominously as if reacting to his anger and foul mood,

"Depends, why? Are you scared?" taunted the Duke,

"If I were you I would not go there, for it is you who must fear me" warned the Firebird "Seeing that I do not want to make trouble I will let you off with a warning...do not...I repeat DO NOT! Threaten me!, it never ended well for people who have"

"Is that your version of a threat?" Said the Duke faking his bravado when in reality his self preservation was warning him that he should stop while he could,

"No, it is not a threat...It is a promise" hissed the Firebird and with that he turned and left before pausing and said "I know what you did and I will see to it that your punished for it to the full extent and nothing will be able to save you from it" with that he left the room leaving the Duke alone.

After composing himself the Duke wanted to laugh, if the Firebird though that he had scared him off then the bird was out of his mind for there was no way that the Duke would leave Arendelle before he syphoned it dry of all its trade, secrets and riches. Soon he would be leaving the country dry, powerless and there Queen at their mercy and nothing, not even that stupid Firebird would stand in his way of achieving his master plan.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Well... that could have gone a whole lot worse... but what will Elsa decide? What is the Duke and council planning? I would say but its a huge spoiler... Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**_ _ **Well you will have to wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next one.**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 **Okay...moment of truth...what will Elsa decide? I would say but that would spoil this chapter...**

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

The night had been a long one, too long for Elsa's taste as she lay in bed, her eyes closed in fatigue as she did not get much sleep, probably an hour or so of sleep at the most as she contemplated on what happened last night, the reveal and the decision she had to make.

As she slept she was unaware of the door of her bedroom as it slowly opened, soon a little Will o wisp made its way in, carrying a letter it flew over and landed on Elsas bed before walking up to deliver the letter to Elsa.

Upon seeing that Elsa was asleep it frowned before walking down to her stomach and began to jump on it in an attempt to rouse her from her sleep.

Not waking up Elsa simply turned so she was laying on her stomach as she slept, barely avoiding being crushed and a little annoyed the Will o wisp flew over to her face and pinched her cheek.

Waiking up startled Elsa looked around wildly before noticing the Will o wisp standing on the side of her bed.

Rubbing her eyes Elsa wondered if she was still dreaming as she had never seen such a thing as the blue light. As her mind processed what she saw she jumped back when she realized what it was.

The Will o wisp moved closer almost making her fall off of the bed as she remembered all the horror stories her parents used to say about how they would lead unsuspecting people to their graves. But soon she was confused as to why this Will o wisp was in her room as according to the stories they were found in forest with lakes or marshes.

"Wha...what do you want?" asked Elsa ready to bolt out of her room if necessary, the Will o wisp said nothing, just held up the letter it was carrying so she could see it, "For me?" asked Elsa a little bit hesitant.

It nodded, gently taking the letter Elsa said "Thank you", nodding the Will o wisp was going to leave but briefly stopped over the box of chocolates which Elsa had on top of the vanity. Seeing the chocolates it decided to help itself to some chocolate Elsa had to make up for all the trouble it went through to get her the letter.

Grabbing one it stuffed one chocolate into its mouth before grabbing more chocolates, stacking them one on top of the other before attempting to carry it out, but failing as it could not balance out the chocolates and ended up leaving with only two while the rest were left behind.

Elsa could not help giggled at that as it was a rather comical sight before looking at the letter, it was a plain white envelope addressed to her, on the back had a wax seal which was very familiar to her. "Firebird?" she though as she opened it, taking out the letter she read it.

 _"Dearest Elsa;_

 _I asked the servants to have breakfast served in the dinning room as though you might not want to be disturb. Hopefully I will see you there._

 _Firebird"_

On the bottom there was a smudge as if he had wanted to write something but just settled with leaving Firebird there alone.

"I guess now is as good as any" said Elsa as she folded the letter and placed it back on the envelope.

* * *

Nervous, it was very unusual for Firebird to feel that way as every since he had first been a Fateweaver he had always kept control or had some predictability of what will happen, but right now with how things were and how they could go right or wrong made him very nervous.

Sure he was hopeful that things would turn for the better, but not naïve enough to not be prepared for the worst outcome of the situation.

Moving the napkin a bit he sighted before looking at the grandfather clock which was in the room, half pass 9 am.

"Maybe she is not coming" though Firebird with a sad sight, but in truth he could not blame her for it, reaching for his plate he decided to eat before his food got any colder.

But just before he did he heard the creak of the door opening turning he almost sighted in relief when he saw Elsa walk over to him, she looked beautiful as she always did, but he could tell she had not slept at all.

Quickly getting off of his seat Firebird quickly changed to his human form, walked over and pulled the chair so Elsa would sit, quietly she sat down, not saying a single word.

"What a great start" he though to himself sarcastically as he took his own seat, quietly they ate their meal, not speaking a word till Elsa asked "What else?",

"Pardon?" asked Hans as he lowered the toast he was going to eat,

"What else did you hide from me?" asked Elsa as she took her butter knife and toast and added "I suggest you choose your words wisely, for depending on them I will decide what I am going to do" as she spread butter on her toast.

Hans sighted and said "Just my human form and me being a Fateweaver... the Fateweaver part is somewhat complicated",

"I got all day" said Elsa,

"Okay...I guess I should start with my home, as a Fateweaver I live in a hidden kingdom called the Underground with 12 other Fateweavers and the kingdom itself is populated by other people with magic and magical creatures" said Hans,

"Wait..there are others that have magic?" asked Elsa amazed as all this time she though she was the only one,

"Yes, anything and any one that has magic lives or can be found in the Underground Kingdom" said Hans,

"You mean... actual people that have actual magic?" asked Elsa,

"Yes" answered Hans,

"Unicorns?" asked Elsa,

"Yes" answered Hans,

"Huldra?" asked Elsa,

"Those too" said Hans,

"Nattmara?" asked Elsa,

"Sadly yes, they are known to trespass and cause trouble" said Hans,

"Mermaids?" Elsa pressed on,

"You know, hows about instead of asking me why I take you to the Underground someday so you can see for yourself" said Hans as apparently he had not made himself clear enough when he said all magical creatures.

Taken back by what he said Elsa looked unsure and asked "Really?",

"Of course, just pick the day and I will take you there" said Hans,

"Alright" said Elsa then asked "What do you do as a Fateweaver?",

"Different things, Fateweavers are there to ensure the balance of the world and that the destined ones achieve their destiny through the use of magic or advice" said Hans "Like for example if a person was destined to win a war he or she would be assigned a Fateweaver to guide and aid him or her to achieve the destiny",

"How do you know if a person is a destined one?" asked Elsa,

"We feel it, I compare it to having a compass inside of you that always points you in the right direction" Hans explained,

"Oh" said Elsa as she reached over for her teacup as she did Hans decided to test his luck and asked "SO...about the engagement", Elsa raised her cup and said "I though about it" then took a long sip,

"And?" asked Hans almost hesitating to know,

"I decided that I want the engagement broken once I get the letter of my aunt and uncles approval" said Elsa after lowering her cup, hearing that was disappointing to Hans, not that he blamed her for it, he had treated her badly at first even if he had a good reason and withheld information from her, no relationship would grow from that...

"Okay..." said Hans softly, trying very hard not to show his sadness about that as he did love her, but he could not and will not force her to stay with him if she did not want to.

"BUT!" said Elsa after a while making Hans jump a bit then added "I want us to start over again, you had your reasons, while I understand and can relate them no relationship can be built upon lies, secrets or half truths... if I give you a second chance and allow you to court me...then I expect you to be fully honest with me from now on, no matter what there will be no lies or secrets or half truths between us".

Elsa meant what she said, true he had helped and had shown he cared, but she could not forgive the fact that he withheld information from her which was the same as lying in her books and it made her wonder if he was being genuine about helping her, if he was in it for the perks or worse if he was helping her to gain her trust to use it to manipulate her. She just could not take chances, before she decides to marry him, if she decides to marry him, she has to be sure he was being honest and genuine.

"Alright, no more secrets, lies or half truths" said Hans relieved when she said that.

"No more secrets, lies or half truths" said Elsa nodding, Hans frowned when she did not smile back, it hurt but did expected it as he was willing to do anything to gain her trust fully, it would be a long run, but it would be more than worth it.

* * *

The sun was setting as right now everybody was having a good time in true Victorian fashion, the boys with the boys, the girls with the girls. In a room separate there was a light conversation and even a bit of fun.

"I will get you!" yelled Anna as she slammed a pillow against her cousin Rapunzels head, laughing Rapunzel chased Anna out of the room,

"Anna please manners!" hissed Elsa as for a moment she was rather embarrassed at her sisters behavior in front of Victoria, who as far as she knew was a no nonsense kind of queen, which brought the question as to how Hans and her became friends judging by her own experience with his...gadfly act...

"Your sister is very charming" said Victoria as she worked on a sampler,

"Thank you your majesty" said Elsa nodding,

"I had to admit, I was quiet surprised when Hans told me about you" said Victoria,

"I was too.. I mean he spoke about you and Albert, but I though he may had been exaggerating just a tiny bit" said Elsa carefully as she was afraid that Victoria might take it the wrong way as the last thing she wanted was to insult her,

"I do not blame you, that is the usual first impression he has" said Victoria as she reached for some scissors and cut the strand of her needle before moving on to practice some flower embroidery "So tell me a bit about yourself, no need to be shy, I do not bite",

"I don't know where to begin" said Elsa honestly,

"Foods?" asked Victoria,

"Pardon?" asked Elsa,

"Foods, whats your favorite food?" asked Victoria,

"Oh that, favorite food? I supposed if I had to pick one is chocolate" said Elsa,

"Can never go wrong with that" said Victoria then added with a light giggle "I love pastries and cakes, their my biggest weakness, I love them almost as much as I love my Albert",

"I do not blame you for their quite a delicious" said Elsa laughing along feeling a bit more relaxed,

"Yes" said Victoria then asked "So tell me what tricks he played on you?",

"Tricks?" asked Elsa,

"Hans, he can be quite mischievous and cheeky from time to time" said Victoria then laughed "I still remember that one time when I was 10 years old when he woke me up by filling my room with the loudest sounding songbirds you can imagine and when I demanded to know why, he joked "You told me to sing like a bird when you were practicing your harpsichord so I got you some birds", I was angry about it at the time, but looking back on it I found it funny and even endearing in some way especially when I got back at him by pouring honey into his liquid soap, he complained for weeks about having sticky feathers and honey bees chasing him",

"Really?" said Elsa with a light laugh, she was rather pleasantly surprised as Victoria always showed herself to be so firm and no nonsense,

"Yes, it was all in good fun" said Victoria with a smile.

There was a bit more silence as Elsa though, she still had many doubts and questions about Hans and his past, she needed to be sure that what he had told her about Victoria and Albert being his friends was true... then there was that other thing he told her... about him and Victoria being ex's... it was just so unbelievable... so not wanting to sound upfront she asked "So you, your husband and Hans are friends?",

"Yes, Hans is my friend, mine and Alberts only childhood friend" said Victoria then sighted "We have been together for many years, yes he would leave, but he would always come back..."

Pausing she reached for a cup of tea she had set aside and took a sip before continuing "Hans was my first kiss, my first love... I still love him, but not how I love my darling Albert, I love Hans as I would love a brother, both me and Albert do and never had we ever had anybody more fateful and devoted"

Elsa said nothing as she listened and watched, she was trying, trying very hard to find something, anything which showed that Victoria was faking or lying, but she seemed genuine even emotional as she seemed to be looking back, reflecting on many fond memories.

"I know this is going to sound odd but; What do you think of Hans? How is he as a person?" asked Elsa carefully as she did not want the question to come out the wrong way,

"Well he is certainly a bit of a character, he is devoted, loyal, considerate, kind, humble, can drive you up a wall at times, but he has no malice as everything he does is always for a good reason, but at the same time he has a hard time trusting others even if he does not show it...he has many layers to him, but my guess its to hide whatever hurt he went through when he was young as the one thing he never spoke about was his family, even to this day its a subject he tries to avoid at all cost" said Victoria as she found it to be an odd question so she added "But in the end it does not matter what I think of him, its what you think of him as I can tell you this but only you can decide what to think in the end of the day",

Then all of a sudden there was a crash interrupting Victoria and making Elsa wince as she wondered what was broken this time. Suddenly she saw a Will o wisp fly through the open door, holding a note.

Elsa grew tense when it landed on her lap, though Victoria did not seem fearful or phased at all about seeing the little blue light.

"Me?" asked Elsa after a while as the Will o wisp held up the note and waved it at her, its response to her question was to nod and pressed the note against her hand.

Taking it Elsa said hesitating "Thank you" with that the will o wisp disappeared. Holding the letter Elsa looked over it, it was folded into a perfect square with red string and the wax seal which was the one that Hans/Firebird used on his letters. After a moment Elsa undid the string and seal before opening the letter and reading it.

 _"Dearest Elsa;_

 _Will you join me for a carriage ride around the country side of Arendelle?_

 _Sincerely Hans"_

When finished Elsa held it a bit before folding the note and placing it on the pocket of her skirts,

"What did it say?" asked Victoria curiously,

"Oh nothing special" said Elsa as she got up from her seat and ran her hand through her skirt to smooth it a bit,

"Ahh I see" said Victoria as she decided not to press on the matter as Elsa stood up and said "I apologize but I have some matters to attend to",

"Its alright, but I do hope we can chat a bit later on during the day or maybe tomorrow if able" said Victoria,

"Of course, thank you Queen Victoria" said Elsa,

"Please Elsa, I insist you call me Victoria" said Victoria with that Elsa left the room.

While Elsa walked out the door and down the hallway her mind was confused, it went back and forth between her own experience with Hans/Firebird and what Victoria said. Elsa was glad that Hans had been telling her the truth about his relationship with Victoria and Albert and she did see what Victoria was being genuine as she was not one to let just anybody close to her.

Then there was the matter of Hans family, what bothered her was that he claimed that he was the supposed to be dead 13th prince of the Southern isles, but if that was the case then it made sense why Victoria said that Hans never spoke of his family and the many layers he had, if his father was that cruel tyrant and people though he had killed Hans, it would not surprise her if his past with his family was anything but a bed of roses. But she hoped that in time she might be able to get him to open up about that someday.

For the moment she decided to be happy to know that what Hans said about Victoria and Albert was true as there was no way that Victoria could fake such emotions and that Hans has taken seriously her conditions about no more lies or half truths.

* * *

Outside near the stable Hans stood next to the open carriage which had been prepared, while the coachman sat on the carriage waiting for Queen Elsa to appear. Sure enough after about 10 minutes Elsa showed up, she wore a dress of dark blue and white, her hair was picked up in a bun even wore a hat.

"You look beautiful" said Hans as she walked over,

"You always say that" said Elsa,

"Because is true" said Hans,

"Are you trying to get on my good side?" asked Elsa,

"Probably, did it work?" said Hans cheekily,

"Don't push your luck" said Elsa,

"Awww why do you have to be so mean?" teased Hans as he helped her into the carriage before he got on the carriage himself, when they were inside the choachman snapped the reins and the carriage began to move. The carriage made its way out of the castle through the town and finally following a road through the most scenic roads of Arendelle.

Sitting on the back of a carriage Elsa looked around as they were driven through the first road which lead through a breath taking view of the fjord in Arendelle. After a while she turned to look at Hans briefly before she quickly turned her sight away when she saw he was starring at her.

Even if it was established that Hans and the Firebird was one and the same she was still baffled at how he looked like, she had wondered if he had a human form since she began to realize that he knew a little bit too much to be just a bird, but she never imagined how would he look like if he had a human form.

"You were starring, something wrong?" asked Hans,

"No no, I mean, its a beautiful scenery" said Elsa looking away and faking that she was looking and admiring the towns, fjord, fields, forest and such.

"It is" said Hans as he went back to looking at the scenery before him,

"So? Can you tell me more about the Underground Kingdom? When was such a place established?" asked Elsa hoping to learn more about where his home was, Hans nodded and said "It was many years ago, I think in the dark ages" he paused and shook his head "Those were terrible times, many people died during that time, many innocent, burned, staked, drowned..." his voice cracked as he looked away so Elsa would not see his eyes tearing.

"You talk as if you were there" said Elsa softly,

"At times it seems so" said Hans softly as he looked down at his glove covered hands.

Elsa was going to say something but then shrieked when blue lights appeared in the carriage.

"What did I tell you all about scaring guests?" Hans lightly scolded at the lights, they just giggled, rolling his eyes "I am sorry about that, their friendly" said Hans as one of the Will o wisps climbed up to Elsas lap and took a hold of her finger, playing with it.

"Their cute" said Elsa giggled feeling a bit more comfortable around them,

"They are and they know it" chuckled Hans "Be careful, their rather mischivious",

"Oh I am sure their okay" said Elsa before they vanished, going to who knows where.

There was quiet then Elsa asked "Is there more history about the Underground Kingdom?",

"Yes, like I said it was made during the dark ages, it started with a german queen, she had evil magic, sadly after her death at the hands of dwarfs people though all of the magical beings were the same... it started a magical genocide" said Hans then gestured "This realm was made by the fateweavers of that time, combining their magic they made this realm and transported any magical being left alive... their future and safety secured".

"Wow" said Elsa amazed,

"It is amazing, almost like a slice of heaven" said Hans,

"If it is, why would you leave the place? I mean, why leave such a place if its so perfect" asked Elsa,

"As nice as that place it, I prefer to be out here...besides it's what Fateweavers do, we need to be out here to do our job properly" said Hans as the carriage drove on, soon they drove pass a clearing with some wild flowers and beautiful trees, looking over it Hans gestured the coach to stop. Stopping the carriage Hans waited for it to stop before getting out of it and helping Elsa off of the carriage.

Walking her over to a nice spot in the field he waved his hand, magic worked as a blanket appeared before them before Hans reached into the pocket inside of his coat before pilling out surprisingly a picnic basket.

Gesturing Hans walked her over and sat her down. Sitting down next to her Hans set the basket down and opened it, reaching inside he grabbed and opened a bottle of sweet wine before taking two glasses and giving a glass to Elsa.

"Thank you" said Elsa softly as filled her glass before she took a sip then admired the food Hans was taking out from the basket and placed it down on the blanket. There was some food she recognized such as sandwiches, chocolate, boiled kartofler with butter and rice pudding, others she had never had tried such as pinapple and mango which were rare and not easy to be brought to Norway.

She ate some, but barely got to enjoy the sandwiches as Hans ate most of them, followed by the chocolate, sticky sweet rice pudding and the exotic fruits, Elsa found she really enjoyed the sweet mango.

With full stomachs they spend their time talking or even played a bit of hide and seek before just laying down on the ground and looking up at the clouds.

"That looks like a whale" said Elsa pointing at a particular cloud,

"It does look like a whale" said Hans then pointed at a different cloud "That one looks like a dog",

"Or a cat" said Elsa,

"That could be true" said Hans as he tilted his head a bit,

"So Hans... sorry its just I feel so strange calling you Hans after spending a year calling you Firebird..." said Elsa "So do you mind if I call you that from time from time?" There was no answer.

"Hans?" asked Elsa as she turned and looked only to find he was fast asleep, for a moment Elsa was irritated but then found herself smiling a bit before reaching and ran her hand through his hair out of curiosity, it was surprisingly softer than she had imagined. For a moment she tensed as he turned, but did not wake up from his sleep.

She smirked as she got an "evil" idea, getting up Elsa quietly went back to the carriage was and coachman was smoking a pipe as he waited, "Lets go" said Elsa getting on the carriage, the coachman looked confused but did what he was told.

About an hour or two later Hans woke up and found he was alone, he was confused as to where Elsa was. The rest of the day he searched through the area till heading back and finding the carriage missing it was then that he realized what happened...

Was he amused at her trick? No he was not...

* * *

Norway was well know paradise for merchants, with the lure of the promise of riches many merchants established homes there, sadly like any other place the competition ran high and only the lucky few made it rich. Those such as the family who lived in Oslo Norway.

This family besides being a merchant family it was one of the most influential in all of Norway, it even had connections to with family members who worked in high positions in the royal household.

These connections and riches were used to live a life of luxury and comfort which was unknown to most of the population.

One such luxury was a servant or like they call them in England Governor or tutor who was in charge of education of the children and book keeping.

Said tutor was placed in the designated drawing room where he held lessons to his pupil, at the moment he was grading reports, when done he smiled and walked over to his pupil, the youngest daughter of the merchant.

She was not a bad student, just a very naïve little girl who did not want to study and just preferred to play and "wait for her prince to come".

All of a sudden one day her attitude did a complete 180, how or what happened he did not know though he wondered if Queen Elsa had anything to do with it as she had become a role model for girls as of late to become more independent and to break out of the mold which was expected of woman at that time, but whether she was or was not he was glad to see his pupil applying herself in her studies.

"Good job" he said handing her her papers "Your father and older brother will be quite pleased".

"Thank you" she said with a smile then went back to her notebook which she had been drawing at the moment as she waited for her grades.

Curious as to what she was drawing her tutor moved to get a better look at the drawing before his eyes widen in shock.

"Who is that?" asked the man,

"Oh this is Queen Elsa, I saw her a couple of months ago ridding her horse with a weird bird" said the girl gesturing to the drawing, it was of Queen Elsa in all her splendor ridding a carriage, opposite of her was a strange bird of gold and red feathers "They say they are to be married, its weird but I guess if he is a good bird then its okay".

The man said nothing as he stared at the drawing. His eyes filling with tears as he remembered.

* * *

 _Drums sounded as Lars and his family were walked out of their prison cells._

 _People jeered and yelled, demanding their death as they were brought to a scaffold where they would be hanged._

 _Looking Lars closed his eyes accepts his fate, they had done so much wrong and now this was the price to pay._

 _One by one their father, mother and his brothers were hanged, with each one the crowd grew into a frenzy of cheers._

 _Finally it was Lars turn, why had he been the last he had no idea, but regardless it was his turn to meet his fate._

 _Walking up the scaffold he felt himself grow deaf as memories began to flash across his mind. All of the memories of his long lost brother._

 _He regretted it, he regretted his inactions towards Hans, he should have been there for him, he should have stopped the abuse...and now...he would not even have the chance to find him and apologize for his behavior._

 _"What a cowardly fool I am" though Lars as the rope was placed on his neck._

 _As the drums sounded Lars prayed, he prayed not for his own salvation as he knew that not even God would be able to forgive him, but for his brother, he prayed for his safety, his happiness and that somehow even though that it was not possible that he would know how sorry he was._

 _Then all of a sudden they was a cry, the place went silent as much to every bodies shock a bird of living flames flew down towards the platform and attacked the_ _executioner. It clawed and pecked till the executioner back away from the lever which when pulled would have led to Lars being hanged._

 _The crowd whispered and pointed, their eyes not believing what they were seeing as the large bird with feathers of the color of flames turned and stood over the lever, glaring a warning to anybody who dared to try and get close._

 _To the people this was a huge shock as the bird looked like a legend which surrounded the Westergaard family, a legend which said that the Phoenix whom was the creature which adorned their crest protected the Westergaard family... but it was a hoax right? Just a rumor for who would want to protect such a horrible family?_

 _"Bah! Go away you stupid bird!" yelled the Executioner after composing himself and tried to shoo it away, only for the bird to retaliate and scratch his arm leaving behind deep wounds which bled profusely._

 _"Why you little I will show you!" yelled the man unsheathing a sword ready to use it only for the metal to melt before it even made contact with the bird._

 _Horrified the man dropped the now useless handle, turn and ran away yelling while the guards back away in horror at what they saw. In their minds there was no creature on earth that could have melted the sword like that... non that they can think of other than..._

 _When the executioner ran away the bird turned its sight to the guards glared at them as if saying "Don't you dare to take another step", deciding to not try the theory the guards wisely dropped their weapons, raised their arms in defeat and slowly back away from the bird in fear._

 _Lars said nothing in all truth he wanted to cry at the sight of his baby brother, though he doubted that he was a baby or even a child as the bird had grown since than the last time they met as it was now about the same size as an eagle._

 _Just to see him made him happy and if he were to die the next day he would do so happily knowing that he was alive and well._

 _Shocked at what they had witnessed the crowd pointed and spoke, there was no denying that the bird was truly the Phoenix, the melted sword was proof, which meant that the Phoenix was a sign from God that Lars should be spared from death which brought the question..._

 _What to do with Lars as he had to be punished?_

* * *

 _After much delivering, arguing and finally a vote Lars fate was decided. Lars was escorted to a massive ship where he spent about 2 days at sea, once far away from the Isles he was placed on a small row boat and set adrift, banished from the Southern isles, his fate just as unknown as his destination._

 _Sitting on the boat Lars sighted as there was nothing much he could do when all of a sudden he felt something drop on his head, it made a flopping sound before it landed on the boat..._

 _A fish?_

 _Looking up Lars saw nothing at first till he felt a bump in the boat when the Firebird/Phoenix landed right in front of him._

 _"Brother" said Lars as he got up to hug him only to stop when the bird glared at him as if saying_

 _"Don't you dare touch me",_

 _"Brother please...I am...I am sorry but you must believe me it was not my-",_

 _"No" said the Firebird finally speaking making Lars look confused,_

 _"I do not want to hear your excuses" said Firebird as he turned his back on Lars,_

 _"But brother you save me, you must-",_

 _"I saved you yes, but it was just to give you the courtesy which you never gave me, nothing more" said the Firebird "For all intents and purposes you and I, we are not brothers",_

 _Lars looked, he felt his heart drop, he had though that him being saved was that he was forgiven...how wrong he was...but a the same time he could not blame him for it...he deserved it...and should just consider himself lucky that Hans was merciful of his fate._

 _"Hans",_

 _"I do not want to hear it, continue to speak or try to touch me in any way and I will leave you to perish here at sea" warned the Firebird._

 _Lars said nothing as he bend his head, letting tears fall as past sins played in his mind. He wished he could go back, change what happened, maybe if he had been braver, out his foot down and defended his brother non of this would have happened._

 _Days passed in silence, Firebird would leave from time to time but he would always come back with food or water for Lars._

 _This, in all honesty was a fate worse than death and if Lars had known this was what had been reserved for him he would have preferred to have been hanged as it hurt so much to see his brother treat him as if he was a stranger or some scum of the earth he felt pity for._

 _It should not be this way, they were brothers._

 _"We are brothers" whispered Lars then looked up and said "Hans...", Firebird did not responded as he continued to ignore him but Lars was not giving up as he continued "I am sorry, you have to believe me, I...I beg of you, please forgive me and let me back into your life, things will be different, I promise...I will do anything for you, anything at all! I will be your servant while you be king, I will even be the shadows while you shine like the sun, just please do not abandon me"._

 _Firebird sighted then shook his head and said "I am sorry, but it was you who abandoned me first", those words silence Lars for the rest of the day._

 _Days passed and the Firebird remained as silence as ever, even any attempt of trying to talk to him was met with silence, but at least he did not make true to his threat about leaving Lars to perish at sea._

 _Finally one morning Lars woke up to find his boat had arrived to land during the night. While at first Lars was happy this was short lived when he noticed Hans/Firebird was nowhere to be seen._

 _Panicked Lars got up and looked around calling out for him, but there was no answer...he was gone..._

* * *

"Lars?" asked the girl, slowly Lars backed away before he turned around and ran out of the drawing room in a hurry.

"Lars!" called out the girl as she attempted to run after her tutor only to find that he was done, rubbing her eyes she was sure he saw his shadow down the hall but how could he move so fast.

While she was out in the hallway Lars reappeared in the room through a dark mist of shadows, walking over to the note book he tore out the drawing before stuffing it into his pocket, merging unto the shadow mist before disappearing all together leaving the girl to wonder what happened to her note book when she returned to her desk.

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, now for the response. Yes this was what I had planned for if Elsa had just allowed the marriage to continue or had been more in love she would not have been Elsa. So yes she still have some love for him, but her trust is shaken because of what happened and will not marry him or anything till she is sure she can fully trust him. Like they say relationships cannot be built upon lies or half truths...and quite frankly Hans was lucky as things could have ended a whole lot worse...**_

 _ **But hopefully he will be able to gain her trust again...but for now please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter.**_

 _ **Fun fact: Hans Christian Anderson actually made a story about the will o wisp. So I just had to incorporate into the story... among other reasons... The will o wisp stories varies...A LOT! I mean they can be evil (Leading you to drown, fall to your death or just straight to hell) or tricksters or good (some stories say how they show good people (children most of the time) where buried treasure is) or souls who are looking to be baptized so they can ascend to heaven. Even the stories of what they are tend to vary a lot, their either souls, the soul of an single evil man doomed to wonder the earth with a lantern or some kind of fairies...**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: I would tell you... but it would be a spoiler. As for H.C he is okay, so no need to worry.**_

 _ **Guest: Don't worry, those two will be okay.**_

 _ **guest: You are very right about that. Hans is indeed very VERY lucky.**_

 _ **KnightLawn: Thank you, glad your enjoying it.**_

 _ **Hatyrksn potaujb: Wish granted.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Karma, the whole concept of good actions bring good consequences and bad actions bring bad consequences...eventually. But what about the in-between? What if you do a bad thing for all the right reasons? Would the person still get a bad consequence, a good one? Bit of both?

In Hans case it felt as if the last one was more likely as yes based the past couple of weeks after the coronation celebration... Once everybody left in good spirits things just resumed, he asked her why she left him behind, she just smiled and left, not giving him an answer and it would not be the first time as soon it began to happen more and more often.

One of the instance she went to a meeting without telling him, not that there was anything wrong with that, quite frankly he was proud of her and how she handled herself by standing her ground when the council demanded she invest in a venture which would have been disastrous. She refused firmly and dismissed them, the council was not happy and when they spotted him they did not hide their anger towards him, especially the Duke who almost lost it as his face turned redder than red, but said nothing as he left.

Another time Elsa has approached him, she did not say anything, just walked over, glared at him with anger, not saying a word. It made Hans panic as his mind went back and forth trying to figure out why Elsa was angry but could not figure out why, the next thing he knew she reached behind to the hood of cloak and pulled it to it was obscuring his sight playfully. Her response when he demanded to know why she did that was kissing him on the cheek and leaving him dumbstruck. It was cute when he though about it but still the not knowing what was going on in Elsas mind was driving Hans up a wall.

"I taught her too well" though Hans as he placed his hand on his head.

* * *

This was kinda fun. It was what Elsa though as she walked around the palace, making sure that everything was just right. She had the council and nobles under her command, the economy of Arendelle was back, it was truly a golden age and she had been the forger of it...well she could not take all the credit as Hans helped her and now she was exerting it over Hans.

She was not cruel, but wanted a bit of payback for him driving her crazy, so she decided what would be more fitting than driving him crazy to let him know how she felt. Of course he had taught her well and she quickly realized his weakness...

Not knowing, unpredictability, what was more unpredictable than silence? Hans was so used to Elsa always telling, speaking her mind, so her silence will do the job.

Arriving to her study she sat down and sighted, happy to find a small pile of paperwork instead of the mountains she had to deal with before, it showed how smoothly things were running in her kingdom.

Looking over them, thinking over the proposals before either signing or rejecting them Elsa placed them aside when she noticed another note, not a proposal, it was a small box with a note on it, said note had a familiar seal on it.

Taking it she opened the note and read it.

 _"For the eyes of my dearest Queen only, Signed Firebird"_

Elsa frowned seeing he had signed it as Firebird rather than Hans, but understood, nobody other than her, her sister, Kristoff, servants, the council and the Duke in Arendelle knew he had a human form, when she asked him why not show it to the kingdom of Arendelle, his answer was simple, he wanted to show them when she was comfortable with her magic, that way they can show them together.

It was very thoughtful that he wanted to wait till she was ready to show the public her magic rather than show it and her being pressured into it.

Smiling she folded the note and put his aside before opening the box, inside was a book, it was small, pocket size really, aged leather with the initials E.M.S embroidered with gold thread on it, it was her first, middle and last name.

Taking it she opened it, her eyes widen in amazement, the pages were aged, but it just brought out the beauty inside of the book.

Painted in a delicate hand in a medieval style were all her favorite poems and said poems were even translated in her favorite languages, with beautiful pictures to accompany them, it was truly a piece of art .

Moving the pages she browse through the content before picking a poem to read, it was one of her favorite poems.

There it was, decorated in crocuses and such was her poem:

 _Lowly, sprightly little flower !_

 _Herald of a brighter bloom,_

 _Bursting in a sunny hour_

 _From thy winter tomb._

 _Hues you bring, bright, gay, and tender,_

 _As if never to decay;_

 _Fleeting in their varied splendor-_

 _Soon, alas ! it fades away._

 _Thus the hopes I long had cherished_

 _Thus the friends I long had known._

 _One by one, like you, have perished._

 _Blighted—I must fade alone._

She smiled before turning the page, the next poem was one she was not familiarized with, but never the less read it after admiring the picture of a man and a woman, the woman was glad in a beautiful gown, strange enough she looked like her, she was getting on a carriage to go who knows where while a man waved as if to get her attention, the man had auburn red hair, green eyes, wore a suit of black.

Seems that the man and woman in the picture was based off on herself and Hans Elsa decided before reading the poem:

 _"Passing stranger! you do not know how longingly I look upon you,_

 _You must be he I was seeking, or she I was seeking, (it comes to me as of a dream,)_

 _I have somewhere surely lived a life of joy with you,_

 _All is recall'd as we flit by each other, fluid, affectionate, chaste, matured,_

 _You grew up with me, were a boy with me or a girl with me,_

 _I ate with you and slept with you, your body has become not yours only nor left my body mine only,_

 _You give me the pleasure of your eyes, face, flesh, as we pass, you take of my beard, breast, hands, in return,_

 _I am not to speak to you, I am to think of you when I sit alone or wake at night alone,_

 _I am to wait, I do not doubt I am to meet you again,_

 _I am to see to it that I do not lose you"_

There was no denying it, it was truly a wonderful gift, closing it Elsa sighted, he was making an effort, but still it was going to take more than gifts to gain her trust back. Yes he had not lied about other things such as the tall tales he told about being friends with royals and being like a brother to Albert and Victoria, but he has yet to showed her the supposed Underground kingdom he supposedly lived and his other friends the so called "Fateweavers".

Whenever she asked when Hans would say "Soon" but never when, if he though she would let it go he was wrong.

Soon she heard a knock on the door,

"Enter" said Elsa, soon the door opened and Hans walked in,

"Right on time" though Elsa before saying "Your here early",

"Do I need an excuse to see you?" he said,

"Depends" said Elsa trying not to smirk at that,

"I supposed" said Hans then added "Remember the Underground Kingdom?",

"Your home? Yes" said Elsa crossing her arms as she wondered what excuse he had this time, but was surprised when he said this "Can you take a week off?",

"Pardon?" asked Elsa,

"The Underground Kingdom is holding its bi annual Equinox festival and I was wondering if you could take that week off so I can take you to see it" said Hans,

"Your going to take me to the Underground Kingdom?" asked Elsa again to be sure,

"Yes" said Hans,

"And while were there I can see the other Fateweavers?" pressed Elsa,

"Yes...but" Hans sighted and rubbed the back of his neck before saying "I got to warn you, the Fateweavers and the citizens of the Underground Kingdom...their... wary of outsiders, not that I blame them...you know...persecution... so do not be too surprise if their kinda cold maybe even a bit mean towards you...",

"That does not sound good" said Elsa frowning a bit as she now began to have second thoughts about it,

"Don't worry, just stick close to me and nobody will bother you" promised Hans "And brace yourself...some Fateweavers are crazy",

"How crazy?" asked Elsa,

"Like Anna after she eats too much sweets and chocolate" said Hans.

Elsa could only stare and wonder what had she gotten herself into, Hans chuckled and said "Don't worry, they do not bite...much",

"That's not a confidence builder" said Elsa,

"I mean it, they may be intimidating, some crazy and all over you, but they mean well" promised Hans,

"Alright then I will take your word for it" said Elsa then her eyes widen as she realized something "Wait, if I am not here then who will be in charge?",

"Why Anna of course" said Hans,

"Anna?" asked Elsa unsure, not that she doubted her sister, but she was not sure if Anna was up for the task,

"Yes, she has come quite far and I am sure that she will be able to take care of the kingdom while we are gone" said Hans nodding his head,

"Are you sure?" asked Elsa,

"Of course" said Hans "I taught her just as I did you",

"Okay, but if anything happens its your neck on the line" warned Elsa,

"Alright, but prepare to be amazed when we get back" said Hans with a confident grin while all the while Elsa hoped she would not regret it. She does not think bad of her sister, but worries that her lack of experience or knowledge on how to run a kingdom will make things difficult for Anna. But then Hans said he had been teaching Anna so she should be okay...hopefully...

* * *

 _The cage was hard to escape, but not impossible as Hans soon learned as the_ _bottom of the cage was obviously made out of dirt so that was his escape, he dug his way out._

 _It too several nights before he was finally able to dig his way under the cage. For a moment he was tempted to fly out of the castle towards freedom, but knew he could not, not without H.C._

 _So he flew up to the palace, going through the chimney again he made his way to his parents room where he knew his father kept the master key, which was the key to open every single look of anything inside the castle or in the prison._

 _After looking around quietly he almost gave up as he scoured all the possible places, but no key._

 _"It has to be around here somewhere" though Hans refusing to give up it was only then when he spotted something shining under the candlelight._

 _Around his fathers neck was a key, it was very decorated and had the crest of the Westergaard on its bow._

 _Flying over Hans landed gently, very very carefully he took the key with his claw and began to move it._

 _As he did he could feel himself sweating with nervousness then flinched back breakups holding back a scream as his father moved._

 _Calming his racing heart Hans reached with his beak this time and slowly but surely removed the chain around his neck which held the key._

 _With key on hand he flew over to the window, opened it, jumping when it made a loud sound. Nervously he looked but gave a sight of relief when he saw that the sound did not awake his father._

 _With key in hand Hans spread his wings he flew off._

* * *

 _Sitting in the cells the prisoners prayed for salvation, it was all they could do when sentenced to the Westergaard prison which had the reputation of being the most cruel and impenetrable one in all of Scandinavia._

 _The only escape of such a horrible place was death as nobody lived long after surviving the inhuman tortures at the hands of either the guards, the king himself or his sons._

 _Tonight was no different, though was worse for them as they were soldiers who rebel from the kings army, this of course made their tortured not only worse but longer._

 _Sitting in the cells they prayed yet again, hoping God would send them an angel of mercy or some form on an opertunity to escape._

 _Tonight much to their surprise God seemed to have answered, true he did not send an angel, but it came quite close as it was the strangest bird they had ever seen._

 _Landing by the opening Hans squeezed through the bars before landing on the ground and dropped the skeleton key in front of the prisoners before instructing in a hurried voice_ _"Hurry, make sure everyboby escapes"._

 _The prisenors stared baffled as the bird talked,_

 _"Yes I can talk and no there is no time! We have to hurry the guards could be here at any second" urged Hans._

 _Heading his warning the group nodded before quickly doing as he said, using the key they unlocked their chains then opened their cells and began to help others escape._

 _While they did Hans looked around the group for H.C, for a moment he feared that the worst had happened till he spotted H.C among the prisoners, he was a little bit beaten but okay._

 _"H.C your okay" said Hans happy as he made his way over to the author,_

 _"My little friend, I knew you would come through" said H.C as he picked up Hans into his hands and held him close in a hug._

 _Once everybody was free a plan was made, the group would separated in two, first group would go to get the guns, bullets, gun powder and other weapons on the storage unit that was in the prison while the second group helped the prisoners who could not defend themselves well escape._

 _Hans scouted ahead to make sure the area was clear, because he was so small he would not be spotted easily making him the best option for it. Going first Hans successfully lead them through undetected, so far._

 _"Hurry hurry" whispered Hans as they made it out of the fortress, only a gate separated them from their freedom. Working together they managed to open the gate which was not so strong and began to lead the other pirsenors out. But just as they were out an alarm sounded and the guards were alerted._

 _"Oh no" though Hans as armed guards and his brothers came in, just as they did the other prisenors armed with guns began to fire._

 _Soon the area turned into a war zone with guards trying to kill the prisenors, prisoners trying to escape or fight back._

 _Luckily it seems that the prisenors had the upper hand as they fought back and defeated most of the guards while the others escaped._

 _"Lets go" said H.C as it was their turn to escape so with Hans in hand he made a break for it through the gate and out towards the woods, but sadly their escape did not ended well as soon H.C was tackled down by somebody who attacked them in the dark._

 _Having been knocked to the ground Hans was disoriented for a bit before getting up, turning he saw in horror H.C being attacked by his brother Lars, the two were wrestling, H.C trying to get Lars off and Lars trying to keep H.C from escaping._

 _"No Lars! Stop please!" Hans cried out as he went over and grabbed unto the back of Lars shirt, flapping his wings in an effort to pulling him off of H.C, but to no avail._

 _Turning Lars gave him a good hard swat sending him to the ground while yelling "Get off of me you bird from hell!",_

 _"Lars it's me! Your brother Hans!" said Hans desperately, hoping that would be enough to stop Lars._

 _"Your no brother of mine! How dare you mock me!" growled Lars._

 _Those words hurt Hans, how could he not recognize him? Surely he would be able to recognize him by his eyes or voice._

 _Taking advantage of that H.C gave Lars a good punch on the nose. Yelling Lars held it as H.C managed to squirm away from his grip and run for safety._

 _In anger Lars took out a pistol, aiming it at H.C as he ran._

 _"Lars! No!" Screamed Hans as he got up and flew over, fluttering all around, pecking or clawing at Lars, desperately trying to keep his brother from shooting his friend._

 _"Go away! You filthy creature! You demon!" yelled Lars as he moved trying to swat Hans, but Hans persisted, if he could just distract Lars long enough H.C would be able to escape with his life._

 _"I had enough of you!" yelled Lars as his target switched from H.C to Hans as he turned and pointed the gun to Hans._

 _"Lars! No!" yelled Hans, the next thing he knew there was a loud boom as the pistol shot, followed by a horrible pain as the bullet pierced his chest, went right through him and finally there was darkness._

* * *

Hans gasped as he jolted awake from the dream. Looking around his eyes were wider than a deer on torch light, his whole body had broken out in cold sweat.

As he breathed and his heart stopped racing he realized where he was.

Slowly getting out of bed he walked over to a window and opened it, letting the cool air in.

Leaning against it he looked outside, the nights were beautiful in Arendelle, even more so than back at his home in the Underground Kingdom for a simple reason, they were real...

In the Underground kingdom the sky, the sun, moon, stars even the clouds were not real but merely a glamour spell cast to make the place more homey.

He guess that was part of the reason why he spent more time outside of the Underground than in. Because as nice as the place was, he longed for the real skies outside of the Underground, to see the real stars and moon, feel the real wind blowing through and the rain as it fell from the heavens, not something which just happened because of some spell.

Resting his head against the window panel his mind drifted to the nightmare he had of his past and to his brother Lars whom he quite honestly he had not though about in a while as it brought too much pain to do so.

Anna once asked "But what if they wanted to reconcile, to make up for what they've done, would you ever give them a second chance?" and the answer he gave her was "Honestly speaking, I would say no, I would gladly live the rest of my life never seeing them again."

Yet seeing the Arendelle sisters being so loving to one another and forgiving despite the circumstances...he found himself having second thoughts about his answers...just a bit.

Maybe in time, Hans would someday go and find his brother Lars and maybe he might try to reconcile with Lars... Maybe they could have the same relationship Elsa and Anna have.

But for now, Hans could not for he was not ready, there was still too much hurt for that...but someday he might be...

"Maybe" Hans though as he continued to watch the Arendelle skies for a while before he closed the window to try and get some sleep.

 ** _To be continued..._**

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, now from this chapter, there is only one more left before the grand reveal. How will that go? Well you will have to wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter as we will finally get to know the mysterious Underground Kingdom.**_


	20. Chapter 20

**_Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better._**

 _ **A**_ _ **ny way, The underground Kingdom awaits! So please read on and remember to leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

It was baffling, that was the only way to describe it as Elsa stood back and watched Hans work on a closet in one of the less used parts of the castle. Unto the door he burned some strange symbols followed by the strangest paint Elsa had ever seen. They were brilliant colors whose hues she could not identify and produced smells which were reminiscent to a very fragrant forest.

"There, done" said Hans as he stood back and admired his work,

"Its nice but, I though you said you were going to take me to the Underground Kingdom" said Elsa confused,

"Of course, this is our way in" said Hans gesturing to the door,

"I do not understand" said Elsa confused, how could that closet door take them there?

"You see there are several entries to the Underground Kingdom, most of them are in old wells or buildings, but since there are no openings here in Arendelle and you do not like sailing I made an opening here in Arendelle to take us there" said Hans as he walked over and opened the door to reveal a dark hole.

Elsa hesitated, deep inside she hoped this was some kind of trick he was playing, but sadly he very serious as he turned and said "Follow me" with that he walked into the closet and never came back out. For a moment Elsa looked unsure before following in after him never noticing a dark shadow duck behind her and enter the door as it closed behind her and locked itself.

* * *

Storms raged outside of Arendelle as the town closed and braced itself for the rain, while it did non of them noticed a large bird with black and gray plumage fly through the storm clouds, making its way to Arendelle.

Landing outside of the town near an outpost the birds form was engulfed in shadows before a person stepped out, pulling down his hood he made his way to the charming cottage only to pause for a moment to read the sign which said "Wondering Oaken's trading post and sauna" pushing his glasses closer he re read again slightly confused about the last part but regardless entered the establishment.

Looking around he was going to further in but soon heard "Wo hoo" it was the store owner,

"Big summer blow out, half off of our winter department ya?" said Oakens if the name had to be guessed,

"No thank you, but I would like some info" said the stranger,

"Sure mister?",

"Lars" said the stranger "I am here to inquire information about the Firebird",

"Oh the Queens fiancé, you know I was skeptical about the marriage...you know...bird human..., but seeing the changes and our queen happy made me change my mind about him" said Oakens,

"Yes" hissed Lars, he had hopped it was not true, but hopefully he arrived in time to stop his brother from marrying.

"Well I have not seen him, but if you want to maybe you should travel to the Arendelle castle where he lives with the Queen about a couple of miles from here" said Oakens gesturing outside towards a road,

"Thank you" with that Lars left the store, once outside he waved his hands and shadow materialized in form of people,

"Go to the Arendelle castle, find my brother, once you do I do not care what you have to do...bring him back to me even if you have to drag him over" commanded Lars and with a movement from his hand the command was said so the shadow left to fulfilled their order.

* * *

Light, it was blinding, beautiful, slowly opening her eyes Elsa found face to face with green grass and flowers of all manner of shapes and colors that she would have never even imagined in her wildest dreams.

Slowly looking around she took in the breathtaking sights of beauty which surrounded her.

"I know" said Hans as he guessed what she was thinking,

"Are we?" Elsa asked almost breathless, saying nothing Hans turned and followed a path up a hill,

"Firebird?" asked Elsa as she followed Hans.

Silently the two followed the path leading up the hill and when they finally got to the top of the hill Elsa gasped as she stared at the kingdom before them.

It was large, a mish mash of different cultures and time periods that somehow managed to meet and exists harmoniously in one place.

Turning to face her Hans gestured, pointing to the kingdom before them "Elsa, welcome to the Underground kingdom, the realm of magic, but most importantly my home".

* * *

Boring, boring, it was what Anna though as she sat down on a meeting with the mayor of Arendelle who was speaking about the reforms of Arendelle and some other rules which he felt that needed to be changed.

Nodding Anna took down notes just in case, she did not know how Elsa did it, but she was determined to do her best as she wanted her sister to be proud of her, to help her, to show that she can be left in charge to allow Elsa time to relax.

Watching close by the council was even less pleased to know that Anna was just as impossible to manipulate as Elsa and they can guess who to blame for that.

"Stupid Firebird" though the Duke in anger as it seems his plans were blowing up in his face. His back up plan was to use Anna but seeing Anna handle things so effectively meant that that plan was out the window. Regardless if the Duke was anything he was determined, there had to be a way to turn the tides to their favor.

"There has to be a way to get the Firebird out of the way" growled the Duke not knowing a shadow had been listening, with this info it left to tell its master of its finding.

* * *

The Underground kingdom, since hearing of it from Hans Elsa tried to images how such a place would look like.

Based on what he told her she had imagined a place full of magic, gothic, kinda medieval, but what she saw was not even close to what she had imagined even in her wildest dreams.

It was beautiful, truly a little slice of heaven, the buildings were all of different eras and cultures yet they blend in so seamlessly as if they belonged together, there were forest and valleys all around, sparkling rivers and waterfalls, there was a sky and the sun was shining, the sky and sun was an illusion, but regardless it did not take away from the beautiful place as the "sun" set behind a castle which was built on top of a small mountain.

"Its been almost a year" said Hans then added rubbing the back of his neck "I know Sylvia will kill me for not keeping in contact till just recently",

"Sylvia? Your fateweaver friend?" asked Elsa to see if she remembered well,

"Yes, though she acts as if she was like my bossy older sister" said Hans as they began to make their way to the kingdom as they still had a long way to go to get there, plus the sun was setting rapidly and he wanted to get there before dark.

"She sounds fun" said Elsa with a light chuckle,

"Ya... as fun as a barrel of monkeys" said Hans a bit sarcastic as they walked. Soon they arrived to the to the entrance of the kingdom, the entrance itself was a large stone gate with two stone like guards holding weapons standing on either side.

Tired, feet hurting and hungry both Hans and Elsa were glad they arrived.

"When I take you home we will get dinner" said Hans tired "I am so hungry I could eat a horse",

"My feet hurt so much... I think that I am going to lay off wearing heels for a while" though Elsa as she cursed herself for wearing high heel shoes, if she had known all the walking she would have to do she would have worn other foot wear.

"Halt!" a booming voice called, all of a sudden a great stone wall was erected before their very own eyes, preventing them to continue into the kingdom, turning Elsas mouth opened wide when she saw the two statues move, both holding their weapons, ready to strike if they did anything.

"Who goes there? Who are you two?" asked one, its voice hurting Elsas ears, it was like listening to a thunder storm up close, though it did not seem to bother Hans at all as he spoke "Lapis, Scopulus, it is I Phoenix prince Hans, returning from the land of no magic".

Both stone statues looked before, bending their heads and falling to their knees till they were kneeling as low as possible before saying "You have been gone a long time your majesty",

"I am aware, but rest assure I will always come back" said Hans, they nodded then asked when they noticed Elsa,

"Who is she?",

"Her name is Queen Elsa, she is my guest for duration of my visit here" said Hans, they all looked at Elsa as if trying to decide something about her before nodding and one, maybe Lapis turned to expose his stone leg and saying "Alright, but before she goes into the kingdom I need her to carve her name, date and time to my stone, so I can remember who she are and when you arrived".

Nodding Elsa made ice tools carved the name, date and time which magically vanished as soon as she carved it into the stone.

Satisfied the stone guardians waved their hand making the wall disappear and them going back to their original positions.

"Sorry Elsa, its the Golems job to keep undesirables out" said Hans,

"Undesirables?" asked Elsa as they resumed their walk,

"Criminals, people with bad intentions and so forth" explained Hans "That's the term we used for them, of course if you heard the word unspeakable used to describe somebody be very afraid",

"Why?" asked Elsa,

"Those who are called unspeakable have committed horrible acts, like murder of the innocent and other such acts" said Hans, at that moment Elsa knew why they unspeakable were called that way,

Night had gotten darker by the time they arrived to the castle, it was so dark Elsa could not see it clearly, leading her through the back Hans snuck her through the gardens till they arrived at a row of houses hidden in the gardens.

Passing some of them she and Hans arrived at a modest traditional Danish home. It was owned by Hans and unknown to Elsa it was enchanted as it may look modest on the outside but on the inside it was very large, had a huge number of rooms, 2 libraries, a training room where he could practice magic or combat and of course a huge indoor garden...

Originally Hans had the garden outside but had to move it on the inside as he just could not get privacy he wanted outside.

Opening the iron gate, Hans let Elsa through before following and making their way to the door, taking out the keys Hans unlocked the front door and let Elsa in before he entered and closed the door behind her.

Starring at the foyer Elsa was stunt as it looked like it belong to a grand palace not a modest home, with its creole marble grand staircase, polished floors, rich vermillion red walls and tall ceilings, it was a grand spectacle, a show of power and wealth yet, something was missing, but what?

"Too much?" asked Hans,

"No, I just did not expect it" said Elsa as she looked around,

"Ya... a lot of the things I picked up from my travels, but this is nothing, you should see Marius home, his is more grander than mine" said Hans as he lead her up the staircase and through the corridors, so many that Elsa was left shocked as she never expected the place to be so big on the inside.

"Are you hungry?" he asked,

"A bit " said Elsa as she continued to follow him up and down a hallway with many doors before Hans paused in front of one and said "Your room, there is a bathroom there also, I don't have any female clothes so your going to have to borrow some of mine for tonight if you want",

"Thank you" said Elsa as he let her into the room, it was quite nice really, reminded her a bit of her own room with the canopy bed, an arm rest chair with nice white covers with flowers on it, yet different colors, it was smaller and had a lot of books.

Turning he gave her a vial of something, "For your water, to help relax" he said then added "Dinner will be delivered to your room later and your free to go wherever you want in my home",

"Thank you" said Elsa,

"Your welcome, have good dreams, I will see you tomorrow" said Hans before turning around and leaving the room quietly.

When alone Elsa entered the bathroom she jumped back when the candles in the bathroom lit up by themselves and tub suddenly filled with warm water, lemon slices and jasmine flowers also appeared along with a strange white milky color which Elsa was quick to realize it was milk.

Walking over she took off her clothes and shoes before wincing at how swollen her feet were .

"Hopefully this will work" though Elsa as she opened the bottle and poured the contents into the bath water before easing herself into the water.

It was very pleasant, the water was warm, the smell was soothing and relaxed her as she undid her braid and ran her hand through her hair.

As she breathed she began to wonder about Anna.

Was she okay? We're things going alright? Surely things were going great, but Elsa could not help but worry.

Moving her hand she took moment to look at the ring which Hans had given her...

Gently she took it off of her finger and held it in her hand just looking at it, the blue diamond shimmering prettily against candlelight as her mind went back to their relationship, yes they had been getting closer again, he has been truthful and honest since her condition of courtship was placed, but the question remained on whether she would want to marry him in the end or not. She had felt something for him before, maybe it had been a crush at the time not love, but the more she actually gets to know him, the more he has open up to her, the more those feelings have been growing into love and despite what happened the efforts he was making in their relationship was helping to win her back, but still it was too early for her to decide just yet.

Finishing she got up from the tub, got a towel and dried herself before leaving the bathroom to her bedroom where she found a simple long white shirt, it was probably a linen or a muslim shirt, it was one a man would use but it showed no signs of ever being used, it even had the price tag still attached to it.

Putting it on Elsa found it to be very long and very light weight, it was as if she was wearing nothing at all before turning her attention to the night stand where there was a small meal waiting for her, it was a leg of roast chicken, potatoes and boiled asparagus, on a smaller dish there was a chocolate cake.

Hungry Elsa ate it all before turning in for the night as she was quite tired and the bed looked to be quite comfortable. So pulling back the covers Elsa curled up in bed and pulled the blankets over her before falling asleep not noticing when the candles all blew out by themselves.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Finally in the Underground Kingdom, what will Elsa see? Who else she will meet? What will she experience? Lol you will have to read the next chapter which will come up soon. Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**_ _ **Well you will have to wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think.**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: I would say but it would be a huge spoiler, you will have to read to find out. lol**_

 _ **guest: But Anna is doing a great job so its not that bad, Elsa will be very proud of her little sister. :) Your right their adventure in the Underground Kingdom has just begun, what will happen after that? You'll see.**_

 _ **yubima-chan: You have every right to be nervous, I will not say why. True lol but Elsa will get used to it as things appearing out of nowhere tends to happen in the Underground kingdom all the time.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Sunlight shining through the window rousing Elsa from her sleep, slowly rising to a sitting position she ran her hand through her hair before looking around the room she was in.

It took for her a couple of moments before she remembered she was not in Arendelle, but the Underground kingdom, in Hans home. Rising from the bed Elsa noticed some very beautiful packages stacked neatly on the floor, attached to them was a letter.

Curious Elsa walked over, took the letter and read it.

"Hopefully these will be to you like, do not worry about the sizes, the clothes here are enchanted to shrink or grow to fit the wearer"

The note was not written by Hans as the handwriting was vastly different and the seal was wrong as well as it was that of a merchant, which Elsa guessed that Hans commissioned these and the packages were delivered sometime during the night.

Saying nothing Elsa put the note aside and took one of the packages, it was light, shaking it she was not sure what was inside, so she opened it to discover they were a pair of shoes, they had a nice heel to them, the leather was blue and polished with a crystal snowflake on it, very pretty. Putting those aside Elsa looked at all the other packages to find they had dresses, undergarments, shoes and other accessories, one per each day of her stay in the Underground.

They seem to be how she likes, but why would Hans get her outfits when she could have brought her own? Not that she did not like the gesture and consideration, but was not used to the idea of another person buying things for her...who is not her sister...

Taking one of the dresses, a long sleeve teal dress, the bodice had no decorations, but the skirt did as it had many upon many purple, icy blue and pink crocuses sown unto it.

When finished dressing Elsa did her hair into a bun with ribbons before putting on a pair of loafer style shoes and leaving the room hoping to find Hans.

* * *

Water was warm, felt good against his skin as Hans shaved very carefully.

"Almost" he though then all of a sudden a familiar voice shouted "Hey Hans!".

Hearing that startled Hans so much that he cut his chin a bit by accident.

"Marius!" yelled Hans angry as he grabbed a towel and pressed it against the bleeding spot on his chin as he turned to face the person. He had long black hair, was dressed very flamboyantly in gray, blue and white, his suit always impeccable and had a cloak which shimmered like the scales of a fish whenever he moved. The person Marius Hans knew, he was one of the Fateweavers, one of his friends.

"Sorry, could not resist" said Marius smirking as he rested his back against the doorway before turning around and moving to his room towards his wardrobe.

"Can I help you Marius?" said Hans deadpanned as Marius opened his wardrobe and began to rummage around, this happened so often that Hans was used to it. Marius like to borrow his things from time to time, he was a dandy and was proud of it to the point that Hans was sure that if the word was looked up in the dictionary it would have Marius picture in it.

"Ya, I need to look my best so..." said Marius as he continued to look then "aha! Found it!" Pulling out a black imperial coat with silver embroidery on the edges, cuffs on the sleeve and neck, the boots were black ridding boots.

Hans looked very angry and said "No, no, that is my favorite coat and boots",

"Come on! They look good on me" said Marius as he tried on the coat,

"No! Why don't you ask Rohan? He has clothes" said Hans trying to take the coat back,

"But he has no sense of style, come on, have a heart, please" said Marius,

"Marius no!" yelled Hans firmly.

"Come on! Have a heart" said Marius pleaded,

"The last time I did and you ruined my coat and boots! It took ages to wash the dirt and grime on the boots and I had to throw away the coat because it was damaged beyond repair!" said Hans annoyed,

"Not my fault you have such good taste" said Marius.

Hans was going to tell him no, but soon he smirked as he got an idea.

"Okay Marius, you can use my clothes, but I need a favor from you first" said Hans,

"Which is?" asked Marius,

"I need you to keep Agatha and the others off of my back tonight" said Hans,

"Are you nuts?! Hans your my friend and I love you, but I am not ready to die just yet" said Marius panicking,

"I did not know you were so scared of Agatha and Sylvia" said Hans with a smirk that kept widening,

"Me? Afraid of those two? No way!" said Marius with a nervous laugh,

"Then it will be easy for you, its just one night" said Hans,

"But why? Why don't you want them to see you tonight?" asked Marius curious,

"No reason" said Hans looking away, Marius looked and crossed his arms and said "Okay, what are you hiding?", sighting Hans said "If I tell you, do you promise to keep your mouth shut",

"Fine, what it is?" asked Marius,

"Okay, you know I was gone for a year and a half right?" said Hans,

"Yes? And that's one of the many questions on every bodies mind" said Marius,

"Well, during that time I was well...with somebody..." Hans admitted rather reluctantly, Marius looked then smirked and said "A somebody!? Really!? Finally! It was about time you got over your fear of relationships!",

"I am not afraid of relationships!" snapped Hans,

"Oh right, you were just afraid of the opposite sex in general" said Marius jokingly,

"Its not that either! And can you be serious for once!" Hans snapped back,

"Calm down it was just a joke, but still why don't you want Agatha and the others to see you with her?" asked Marius curious,

"Because you things here are very different from what goes on outside and I want to not overwhelm her on the first day" said Hans,

"Okay I hear ya" said Marius then though before saying "Just because your my friend I will keep them away",

"Thank you Marius" said Hans as Marius picked up the coat and boots before disappearing from the room leaving behind only a wet spot where he was standing and the smell of fresh water.

When gone Hans sighted as he hoped that Marius was successful as Agatha and Sylvia can be very overprotective, about everything, then there is the fact that some Fateweavers, Marius included did not understand the meaning of the word personal space, which he knew was important to Elsa, sure he warned her about that, but he was not sure if she could even suspect how bad they were at that...

Shaking the thoughts from his head he turned and headed back to the bathroom, going to a cabinet he had he took out a bottle full of something and dabbed it into his injury healing it before making his way to the tub.

It was built on the ground, made out of a fausk marble, octagonal shape, the water had steam which meant it was still warm. Sighting Hans stretched his arms before proceeding to pull off, pausing only to stroke the strange scar on his chest, he hated to look at it but sadly it was one of the many wounds that would never go away no matter how much he wanted it to. With a sight he stepped into the tub, easing himself into the warm waters and before going under letting the warm water sooth his troubled mind.

* * *

Checking the doors one by one Elsa wondered around the house for what feels like forever as it seems the halls, doors and stairs had no end.

"Forget palace, this place is a maze" though Elsa as she looked around before trying another door, this one was a bedroom, it had a large bed, desk and chair, all which were Chippendale style, there were bookcases and some books stacked here and there followed by maps and a globe.

Walking further in Elsa looked around curious, wondering if anybody ever slept in this room as it seems that a lot of the rooms were not in use, upon walking a foot or so into the room she grew tense when she heard what she could describe as water moving from another room.

What was that? Was there an intruder? More than one?

Panic Elsa reached for the nearest thing she could find, which turned out to be a book, she armed herself with it as she slowly stalked over to a door, she heard the sounds coming from it, slowly she reached, took the door nob and opened the door only to let out a scream.

* * *

Resting his head back against Hans took a deep breath, inhaling the delicate smell of the potions which he used on the water, most which he made himself, his favorite being the restoration, it had a bit of a spicy smell to it, something like cinnamon, it was used to restore a persons mind and emotions when feeling down or drained.

Taking some water into his hand he runs it through his hair and head, feeling relaxed. Though sadly it did not lasted long enough.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" a scream made him jump up to his feet startled as he looked around wildly only to see Elsa looking at him, she screamed again and covered her eyes while Hans turned red and ran to grab a towel to cover himself , this was a very compromising position they were in.

"I am sorry!" yelled Elsa as she ran out of the room embarrassed.

* * *

Running around Elsa somehow managed to find her way back to the room she had been given, closing the door she rested against it, her face all red in embarrassment of seeing...certain things...she did not want to see yet.

Covering her face she groaned as she slid down and stayed on the ground for who knows how long desperately trying to wipe that image away from her mind till she heard a knock on the door,

"Elsa?" she heard, it was Hans, taking a breath she composed herself before turning and opening the door.

Fully clothes Hans stood there, but she could tell he was just as embarrassed as he was as he rubbed the back of his neck and said "That was my room",

"I realized that" said Elsa not being able to look at him in the eye,

"Yes..." said Hans before they broke and began to profusely apologize about what happened,

"Okay well...ready?" he said still a little red,

"Ready for what?" asked Elsa,

"The Equinox festival" said Hans "Its starting, hopefully you will like it"

* * *

Night arrived at Arendelle, yet there was no sleep as Anna was up reading reports and such with Kristoff,

"Thank you Kristoff" said Anna as Kristoff handed her some more papers for her to look over them,

"Your welcome" said Kristoff then sighted "But the council, I feel that when Firebird used the word snake pit to describe them he was being far too polite",

"What would be the words you would use?" asked Anna as she placed the papers down and leaned against her arms with a smile,

"Draugrs, because they seem to have a talent for ruining anything good" said Kristoff making Anna giggle then say "Don't worry, it will all be fine, its just for a week and soon they will be back to cowarding under Elsas gaze",

"I suppose" said Kristoff then added "Its amazing how far we have all come",

"I know... I feel closer to my sister than I have ever been" said Anna softly "I don't feel like the spare anymore", frowning Kristoff walked over and placed his hand on her hand before saying "You were never a spare Anna, you do amazing things in your own way", smiling Anna squeezed his hand back and said "Thanks Kristoff".

The sweet moment was cut short when they heard the clock ring, it was midnight,

"Guess its time to go to bed" said Anna softly,

"Yes" said Kristoff then asked "See you tomorrow?",

"Of course, it will take more than a few fogies to scare me away from doing the job I was entrusted" said Anna placing her arms on her sides and looking confident,

"That's the spirit" said Kristoff, with that they locked and left the office to sleep, for tomorrow was another day.

* * *

In the Underground The Equinox festival was just getting started, fireworks sounded, lighting the night sky, music was heard, there was food, dancing and magic!

Baffled Elsa looked around, though the stands and entertainment was beautiful what shocked her was the people attending the festival themselves, there were kids running around and shooting water from their hands at one another, there was a woman who was making plants and vines grow around the street lights with a flick of her wrist, there was a teenager flying around the air controlling wind to keep himself afloat.

"Come on" said Hans dragging her around, it was very strange, Elsa had never seen him act so carefree around her, maybe he did act like that around Anna, but she was not sure. Either way it was a welcomed change.

Going around the festival they tried out food, Elsa's favorite being the confectionary of chocolate straight from Italy, playing some games from the booths which varied from ball tossing to guessing and competition games.

"This is it" Hans said not telling her where he was taking her till she finally saw it, it was the dance floor which had been erected in the town center, it had a lovely floor, lights and flowers hanging, the musicians were playing and people were already dancing under the stars.

"No, Hans no, you know that I cannot dance" said Elsa digging her feet so he would not drag her over to the dance floor,

"I can't cook or use ice magic so we are even" said Hans "Just one dance, it will be slow, I promise", caving in Elsa allowed Hans to walk her to the dance floor when a slow song was placed.

Taking her hand gently he marveled at how her hands fitted perfectly on his, Elsa tensed a bit when he placed on hand on his shoulder, placed his hand on her waist gently and held her free hand with his before leading her through a simple waltz.

His hands were strong, but gentle as they moved slowly and though Elsa was no expert in dancing, she had a grace in movement which Hans had never seen before.

"You doing wonderfully" Hans whispered at her, she smiled but soon found herself feeling unease as she felt as though she was being stared at, of course there would be people starring as there were people watching the dance, but for some reason she felt some coldness in that stare, maybe a bit of hostility, but everybody looked so happy that she could not pin point where she was getting that feeling from.

Whether it was fear or instinct Elsa found herself pressing against Hans in fear, noting this Hans asked "You okay? What's wrong?",

"People were starring" said Elsa feeling a bit silly about it,

"It a dance, everybody was starring at everybody" said Hans as he stopped and led her away from the floor as he did not want to make her feel uncomfortable. So he decided to call it a night and take her home.

"Your probably right" said Elsa after a while, she still felt unease as they walked back to Hans home, while they did she looked all around, any movement in the dark made her jump, taking her hand Hans said hoping to help "If there was something, it will have to go through me before it gets to you",

"A knight in shinning armor, how lucky I am" said Elsa feeling a little better as she giggled,

"I am better than any old run of the mill knight in shinning armor" said Hans with a smirk,

"Really? How?" asked Elsa,

"Yes, because I have a personality" said Hans before the two burst out laughing,

"If that was a joke, its the worst I have heard" said Elsa between laughs,

"It worked, it made you laugh" said Hans trying to control his laughter as they got back to his home, the feeling of unease forgotten through the moment of laughter. Yet unknown to them there was a dark shadow stalking them, watching their every move and hearing every conversation, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

 _ **To be continue...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Now! The upcoming chapter Elsa will be meeting the other Fateweavers, how will the meeting go? lol sorry cannot say, you will have to read the next chapter,**_ _ **so please stay tuned for the next chapter and please leave a review to tell me what you think of this one.**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter where we will find out how Elsa may react and what she will do now that she has seen Hans human form. So please sit back, relax, enjoy a good read and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Up and early, that was what happened the next day as Elsa was forced out of bed by the will o wisps, the little fairy lights were told by Hans to get her up as he was taking her to see the Fateweavers.

Exited, even a little scared Elsa got ready, as she tied on the laces of her shoes she noticed a book on the ground, curious Elsa walked over and picked it up, looking over it as she wondered how it got there before her eyes widen as she remembered.

"Yes, this was the book I took from Hans room, must have brought it with me by mistake" though Elsa as she looked over it, it was a red book with gold fire motifs. Stroking it a bit Elsa debated on whether to look or not before curiosity got too much and she opened the book reading the tittle which said _"The history of the Phoenix"_

"So they have a book about them" though Elsa as she remembered that Hans had mentioned that there had been other Phoenixes before him, but of course they all died before him as there could only be one Phoenix/Firebird in existence at a time.

"Wonder about the others" though Elsa as she moved a page or two before reading the first entry which had no picture to accompany:

 _"The first phoenix, He or she has no name, the story of how he or she came to be is rather ambiguous, but it is suggested that it is strongly connected to Christianity as one of the stories claims that the Phoenix was born from the ashes of the garden of Eden after it was destroyed by the angel after Adam and Eve sinned. It's rebirth was to be a sign of hope for humanities redemption"_

"Wonder who was the first one" though Elsa with wonder before she turned the page.

The next showed an egyptian man, he had dark skin, bald head, wore white, his blue eyes were decorated and wore a linen tunic of sorts, a sash around his waist and a gold headdress.

His text read:

 _"Bak, he became the second Phoenix. He was an Egyptian man, a royal sculpture maker. He had stolen from his master causing him to be exiled, outside of the exile he regretted what he had done and sought redemption by helping his sickly masters daughter. This of course even though that his master was grateful he was forced to execute Bak as his punishment was that he could never return. On the night before his execution his cell burned and there was no sign of Bak, he had become the Phoenix/Firebird"_

"He changed his life around" said Elsa, she did not know much about Bak, but she held admiration as it was never an easy task to change ones life around.

Turning the page she found starring at a chinese girl, she was pretty, black hair done nicely with jewels and dark eyes, wore a Chinese silk dress of red and gold. Her writting said

 _"Feinya: A Chinese girl who became the third Phoenix in existence. She by all accounts was not a good daughter. She would never listen to her father or do the things woman traditionally did at that time. When she was supposed to look after her baby brother whom she hated. She did not watch him and it lead the poor baby boy to be kidnapped. Horrified she went and saved her baby brother on the way back the experienced changed her as she grew to love him. Sadly before they got home they ran into a blizzard seeing no shelter she made the ultimate sacrifice, she took off all her clothes and bundled her brother in them before laying on top of him shielding him from the wind. When they were found they only found the baby with his sisters clothes and a bird... she had changed into the Phoenix"_

"How sad" though Elsa but despite it she respected her for its not everybody who would give up their life for their sibbling... she only knew one other person... her own sister...

She moved the page, it was another, the boy had light strawberry blond hair, brown eyes and freckles, wore a shirt with a vest and some shining pieces of armor on his shoulders, arms and legs. He looked happy even though his begining did not read that way.

 _"Aled was a boy from a Welsh town long since forgotten, he did not have a great start in life as he was born into a family of thieves. When it was his turn to steal he stole a necklace from a powerful sorcerer. Regretting it because of his conscious he went to give it back, sadly his family killed him as they wanted to sell the necklace for riches and threw his body away. The sorcerer having seen it all saved the boy by performing a true form spell which changed the boy to his true form... the Phoenix"._

"Its not always easy to do the right thing, glad he did" though Elsa as she smiled a bit then touched the page before turning it.

In it showed an indian prince, dressed in the finest robes money could buy. Not like the others who had come from more humble backgrounds. "Wonder whats his story" though Elsa as she read it.

 _"Mahendra, he was an Indian prince who was very spoiled and selfish. While he ate and drank his people starved. One day he haughty said that he was the center of the universe. Of course this angered many and he became cursed. He became a leper and lost everything, forced to wander the streets he became humble as he saw his peoples suffering. He dedicated the rest of his life helping others to the best of his abilities. At the time of his death he was alone but when he died he found he did not die, by merely was reborn as the Phoenix"_

Finishing Elsa began to see the pattern in these stories, "I have to be sure" though Elsa as she moved to the next story.

This one was of another girl, she was dresed in russian clothes which were not worn in years, her hair was put up in a cloth. Her eyes a sparkling blue almost green.

 _"Svetlana , a Russian girl, she was lazy and stubborn girl. Mostly referred as a wild child. She made fun of others and ruined harvest. As a punishment by her elders she was made to watch fields at night where one night she saw the crops being stolen by a witch. She tried to tell others but they did not believe her so she went off on a journey to prove it. Along the way through helping others she gained humility and kindness. When defeated the witch she went back where she was blamed for what happened and sent to be killed but before she was killed a fire consumed her. Turning her into a bird and she flew off. She had become the Phoenix"_

"Seems that my thoughts are correct" though Elsa as all these stories showed one thing, seems that fate always picked people who were redemable to become Phoenix. Which makes sense as the legend of the Phoenix was all about rebirth or rising from the ashes, which brought the question, what did Hans do to be chosen?

Moving the page she frowned when she found that Hans story was not written.

"Strange" though Elsa as she looked through the book only to find something even stranger, there were pages, a lot of pages missing from the book. It was not noticeable at first for you had to look close enough realize the missing pages.

"Why" wondered Elsa for there was no apparent reason for the pages to be removed, so she closed the book and deciding to ask later.

* * *

Beautiful, the area was just that, before Elsa had not had a chance to admire it as it was dark, but now she was able to, Hans home was a small coastal Danish home, but of course she knew that it was a trick as inside was as huge and grand as a palace from what she had managed to see.

There were other homes too, there was a country French 17th century home with a beautiful garden, a beautiful stone home with windows and chimneys, they were all small and pretty, but Elsa was sure that inside they were grander than they seem.

As they walked Elsa expected they would walk towards the palace which was on the grounds, but found they were going the opposite way,

"Shouldn't we go that way?" asked Elsa curious as she pointed towards the castle,

"No, we use that to host balls or have guest, we need a lot of room to let everybody in" said Hans as he lead her towards the more forest area in the garden, seems it was for wildlife or something.

Saying nothing else he would stop and look around as if making sure that they were not being followed, which was just as strange as when he made her wear this thick green cloak to make sure if she was seen she would not be recognized.

Walking further into the area they arrived at a large lake full of crystal clear water, whether it was man made or not Elsa was not sure, but it was a beautiful lake nonetheless as it was so clear everything reflected off of it as if the body of water was a giant mirror.

Looking at the lake Hans whispered, the language was strange, non Elsa had ever heard of, though it was beautiful to hear, "Sun bright, bright sun, may your light forvere shine, the path where magic and nature may be revealed to us" he said, not that Elsa understood.

As soon as the words were spoken, even if they were just whispers the words carries on to the wind, the "sun" shone bright and there was a shift, waters splashed as they parted to reveal a magnificent stone stairs.

Turning to face her Hans placed a hand gently unto hers and said "I need you to listen to me carefully, nobody but Fateweavers are allowed in there, but I talked to the other Fateweavers and they gave me permission to allow you in, but you must be cautious, watch your words very careful when speaking, do not speak unless your spoken to or interrupt, bow lowly in their presence but most of all be respectful, be respectful and they will be respectful to you okay?".

Elsa nodded getting even more nervous,

"Its okay, I promise nothing will happen" said Hans as he pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and face, obscuring it, when he wore it Elsa always found herself intimidated as she could not see his face and it in a way reminded her of a executioner or an evil warlock, though she knows he is neither.

"Come on" Hans said before he lead her into the lake and down the stairs, as they walked the way they came in closed behind them but the stairs never flooded, the stairs were long and grand, carved with very beautiful design and the pillars on either side gave it a more grand look as they got to the bottom stair and went down a hall.

Soon they were in a large round room, it had a hole on the top where light was coming from an unknown source, the room itself was entirely made out of marble which was carved in many wonderful designs,had many mosaics for decorations and tapestries hanging from the cealing, in the very center of the room set in a perfect circle were 13 thrones, all of them were the same height, made of the same material, the only differences were the symbols carved on them.

Sitting on said thrones were 12 people Elsa had never seen before, like Hans they all wore cloaks and they were varied in looks and ages, there were three ladies, grandmotherly types, they wore red, blue and green respectively, a much older man who wore sky blue and pointy hat, among others, they looked serious while there were some who looked somewhat more friendly, but still that did nothing to make Elsa feel welcome.

She almost flinched when one of them, a curly blond hair woman with a rough spun cotton dress walked over to Hans and began to speak in the same strange language Hans spoke early, but much louder as she sounded and looked very angry, following her was another woman, this one was much younger than she was, she had bronze skin and dark hair which made her green eyes and dress pop, her cloak was also green with leaf and branch motifs, she joined in on the "conversation" while Hans based on body language was trying to calm them both down.

After having their say they crossed their arms and left to another room, sighting Hans rubbed the back of his neck before turning to Elsa and saying "I apologize about that...",

"Who are they?" asked Elsa,

"Sylvia and Agatha...long story... they want to talk to me in private" said Hans,

"Why?" asked Elsa curious but before Hans could answer one of the other Fateweavers, a long black hair man with flamboyant dressing stepped in and said "Hey Elsa, my name is Marius, looks like you and me are going to be spending the day together", Elsa was going to protest but wisely decided not to as she nodded.

"I will see you later" promised Hans as Elsa was lead away by Marius, she looked back to Hans every now and then as they left.

* * *

When Elsa left Hans turned and walked to the side, moving a tapestry to reveal a hallway, said hallway had several rooms such as studies, libraries, training rooms, none of which had doors except the studies.

Walking to the study Hans found Sylvia and Agatha waiting there, they were anything but happy,

"I will be lucky to get out of this alive" though Hans as he closed the door behind him, once that happened Sylvia was the first to speak "WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THE THINGS WHICH ARE GOOD WERE YOU THINKING!?",

"Sylvia" began Hans,

"Don't Sylvia me! You made a vow!" yelled Sylvia,

"I made no such vow Sylvia" said Hans crossing his arms,

"Yes you did! You made a vow of celibacy" said Sylvia,

"I did not! I was 9 years old, too young to even make a vow in the magical community which states that for the vow to be official the person making it must be over 14 years old and must understand what such a thing means, at that time I was neither 14 or even understood what it meant" argued Hans, seeing he was right Sylvia growled and turned away angry.

"That is not what bothers us the most Hans" said Agatha finally speaking "Out of all the women out there, why did it had to be a Solberg?",

"You know we do not pick who we are fated to be with" said Hans,

"I do not care, you know her family killed many in the magical genocide out of greed" said Agatha,

"That was ages ago and Elsa is not like her family, I promise" said Hans,

"You sure your not saying that just because you want her?" said Sylvia with her arms placed on either side of her hips,

"NO! I have been with her for a year, I know the kind of person she is" said Hans,

"So did the other Phoenixes and their all not only dead but caused disasters Hans" said Agatha,

"Its not going to happen to me" said Hans exasperated "I made sure of it",

"You know, if you want to be with her fine! But I hope you know what your doing, because if something happens it will be on you" said Sylvia before leaving angry.

Rubbing his forehead Hans sighted, that was Sylvia, short temper, overprotective, cynical Sylvia, hopefully she will get over it...eventually... so he turned his attention to Agatha who shook her head then asked "You know we care about you right?",

"I know... but I think maybe its time we put the past behind us" said Hans,

"You know what happened to the last Phoenix" said Agatha,

"I know more than anybody, but I am confident that Elsa is not like the other ones and the cycle will not be repeated" said Hans confident,

"Alright, I will trust your judgement, I just pray that you are right" said Agatha and with that they left.

* * *

Heading outside Marius decided to take Elsa along to his most favorite place, what it was Elsa was not sure, but followed him as she was curious to know what this place was and if it was just as amazing as Marius promised it would be.

Arriving Elsa found that Marius favorite place was a manicured park on the outskirts of town and she could see why. It was beautiful and it seemed to be a place for relaxation and gathering of the Underground kingdom, it featured a huge playground for the kids, gazebos for the adults, trails, flower gardens and a large lake and river for fishing or boat ridding.

"See what did I tell you? Isn't this great?" said Marius proudly as they approached the place,

"Its lovely" said Elsa amazed as they walked over,

"Its better in winter, right now its so hot I think we can get roasted if we stay out too long" said Marius as he fanned himself using his own hand in an attempt to get a breeze.

Elsa though silently then murmured "I can use my magic",

"Magic? What kind?" asked Marius as he managed to hear what she said,

"Ice" said Elsa reluctantly,

"Ice?! Why did you not say so?! Use it! Use it!" Said Marius exited,

"But the people-",

"Will think your a godsen! We have not had snow in ages! Please!" said Marius begging.

Elsa was going to refuse but found herself unable to before sighting "Fine" then moving her hands she let a burst of ice magic out.

It covered the area of the park and gardens with snow and ice, even made snowflakes fall from the sky.

At first people around the park were stunned at the sudden changed but soon celebrated as they ran around to play with the snow in delight.

"What did I tell ya? A godsend" said Marius before yelling as he got hit by a snowball.

Soon kids screamed "Snowball fight!"

* * *

Having left the Fateweavers lair Hans went around the Underground Kingdom searching for Elsa as he did people would stare, bow, get out of his way or do all three. When he was young and rather immature he found it funny as never anybody had done that to him, but now older and mature Hans found it slightly irritating as he did not want flattery, even from the few brave ones who would ask or try to talk to him, the overformality was far too much.

As he looked around for Elsa and Marius he noticed how the air got colder and snowflakes fell, "Snow?" though Hans as he followed it and finally arriving at Marius favorite park he saw it had been transformed into a winter wonderland.

"Elsa" though Hans as he emediatly knew who was responsible and was happy, maybe if she gets comfortable using her magic around people in the Underground Kingdom it will lead her to eventually be comfortable to use her magic around her own kingdom free of worry.

Following the trail to the park Hans looked around before he spotted Elsa making a snowman with some kids.

"I figured this was your doing" said Hans with a small smile.

Looking up the kids all gasped in awe while Elsa smiled and said "I figured everybody could use a break from the heat",

"Yes, some don't even know what snow is" said Hans as he pulled on his hood, making sure it did not slip from his head.

"Why must you hide?" asked Elsa as she could not help but notice him doing that, also the use of gloves as she realized he was always wearing them for no apparent reason,

"I have my reasons" said Hans,

"You and your reasons" said Elsa sighting then the next couple of minutes was spent in silence as they watched everybody enjoy themselves on the snow before they moved on to the lake to do some ice skating.

After a while Elsa smirked and asked "Have you ever ice skated before?",

"No, not really" said Hans then regretted his answer as he noticed her turn to him and smirk as wide as a Cheshire cat before saying "I think since you taught me how to dance a bit, it would be fair that I teach you how to ice skate",

"Uh, I just remembered I have someplace else to be" said Hans as he turned to leave.

"Come on! It will be fun" said Elsa as she grabbed on his hand and pulled him over.

"No thank you" began Hans as he tried to get free from her, but Elsa was determined and somehow managed to drag him to the icy lake, once on it Elsa she was quick and used her ice magic to make a pair of ice skates appear on his boots... which she soon learned why he did not want to ice skate.

As soon as those things were on his feet Hans could feel himself loose control of his balance as he felt his legs wobble unsteadily before falling face first to the ground with a solid thud.

"Ow" said Hans as he tried to pick himself up.

Elsa winced and said "Okay... don't worry, lets get you up" helping him up Hans could feel himself loose balace again before falling on his back.

"I think I would rather remain down here, its less painful" said Hans as he did not want to get up from the ground.

"Come on, don't give up, if I taugh Anna then you learning will be a breeze" said Elsa as she held out her hand, giving in Hans picked himself up with Elsas help.

"Okay, baby steps" said Elsa as she took his arm to stabalize him and said "One, two three, move your feet like so"

* * *

Watching far away a shadow looked at the fun seen before it seeped to the ground, sneaking from shadow and shadow.

Stealthily it made its way across the happy crowds, blending in before it seeped under the ice unnoticed by anybody, once there it remained still, waiting forits target to fall right unto its grasp.

* * *

Still unsteady in his balance but a bit better than he had been before Hans kept a firm grip on Elsa arm as they made they way across the ice.

His grip was rough but she could understand why, he did not want to fall.

"See, its easy" said Elsa hoping that it would help,

"Ya sure... But I will feel a lot better once I get back to firm land" said Hans as he continued to hold unto Elsa.

"Come on, where is your sense of adventure?" teased Elsa,

"It left along with my balance" said Hans then froze when he heard something.

It sounded like a crack, then all of a sudden Elsa tripped, it caused a reaction which made her push him and let him go, as he slid his steps grew unsteady before be fell to the ground on his side.

"Hans! Are you okay?" asked Elsa quickly getting back up on her feet, getting up Hans was going to answer but before he could even answer there was more cracks.

All around him the ice broke into a perfect circle before shattering under his weight, plunging him into the icy cold underwater.

Hans yelled at the cold as he reached up trying to grab unto something, anything that he could use to pull himself up, suddenly he felt a hand grab his then two before he was pulled up from the waters quickly.

Then for a moment Hans tensed as he felt something brush pass his left leg him before he was pulled up.

With all their strength two random people pulled Hans up from the water and helped him walk back to solid land.

Once on solid ground Hans lay down on the ground as he gasped and coughed, trying to catch his breath while everybody fussed about what happened.

"I am fine! I am okay!" said Hans between coughs,

"What happened?" demanded Marius as he looked between Hans and the hole in the ice he fell through.

Sitting back up Hans looked at the hole and though about what he sensed, that strange presence, the cold and darkness before saying "I am not sure".

* * *

Calling it a day Hans and Elsa made their way back to his home , no word was said at first as both were upset as the day did not ended how they had wanted it. Hans felt guilty for the accident and Elsa felt guilty for almost drowning Hans.

After a while Hans decided to break the ice and said "You have been quiet, was it something I did?", shaking her head Elsa said "No... its just that... I am sorry for... what happened",

"Don't be, its not your fault, you do not apologize for something you did not do" said Hans softly,

"But it was my fault, I forced you to go ice skating" said Elsa,

"You did not force me to do anything" said Hans "If its anybody's fault its mine for not being careful" after a while they reached his home.

Opening the door Hans let her in before Elsa asked "What was it that Sylvia and Agatha wanted to say?", sighting Hans said "Their worried, rightly so because of what happened to the other Phoenix before me",

"The curse?" asked Elsa,

"Yes and...they do not like the idea of me being with a Solberg" said Hans,

"What's wrong with me being a Solberg?" asked Elsa confused,

"To them a lot..." said Hans before pausing as he knew she would not like this "Your family was one of the families which led the magical genocide",

"What?!" said Elsa shocked, Hans nodded grimly "They did it because they wanted to ensure nobody else had the power to overthrow them...and the way they saw that was to get rid of every magical creature so that they would be the only ones with magic",

"No, its not possible" said Elsa shocked,

"Believe it, but your not alone, other royal families did it for worse reasons and have done worse" said Hans "My father had me in a cage, exposing me to the worst things you can imagine just so he could harvest my tears, he killed his own brother to make sure he would get the crown... at least your parents are good people".

Elsa frowned and looked down, placing a hand on her shoulder Hans said "It is alright, the past is the past and what matters is what you do now...so don't let it get you down" he pressed his lips gently on her head before moving away and asking "What do you feel like having? Personally I would like some good meat but whatever you decide will make me happy".

With a gentle smile Elsa followed, she knew Hans was right and she hoped that in the future she would be able to make up for what her ancestors did.

* * *

Another hard day of council meetings and attending the townspeople and Anna was tired, arriving to her room she sat down on her vanity and began to undo her pigtails before a glow caught her eye. Turning she saw it came from her music box, where she had stored Hans soulstone under lock and key.

"That's strange" though Anna as she took out the key she kept with her at all times, unlocked and opened it to reveal some silk and soft fabric, in the center of it was the soulstone, its glow was pulsing, almost like a heart, as she reached she yank her hand away as it was very hot to the touch.

Then all of a sudden when it started it ended, it went back to the same steady bright glow as it was before, no longer was it hot, but for Anna it was troubling as she tried to figure out what it meant.

Hans had said that if the glow dimmed it meant that Hans was sick or wounded, if it remained bright he was okay and if it was broken he would die, but had it ever done that before? What did it mean? Was Hans in danger?

Anna hoped that was not the case as it was back to the same bright glow it always had, maybe it was a mistake or something...right?

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Well... that could have gone a whole lot worse... but what will Elsa decide? What is the Duke and council planning? I would say but its a huge spoiler... Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**_ _ **Well you will have to wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next one.**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 **In this chapter a certain special character from the movie will be making an appearance...who? Lol you will have to read to find out.**

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Breakfast was finished, Elsa was happy to have some more time to explore the home. She had gotten to see some in her impromptu exploration the day before. So getting up from the dinning room Elsa had the intention to leave when she heard a knock on the door.

"That's odd" though Elsa as she walked to the foyer and looked through a small peephole on the door to find nobody. Turning she was going to leave only to hear more knocks on the door baffeling her even more when the knocks continued.

Against better judgement Elsa unlocked and opened the door, her eyes widen as she saw what was on the other side. On the otherside was a partially melted snowman.

"Hello, I am Olaf and I like warm hugs" said the snowman, Elsa for a moment wanted to scream startled but calmed herself as she remembered that she had seen stranger things in the Underground kingdom.

"Olaf?" said Elsa unsure, then her eyes widen as she remembered her and Anna's childhood snowman, Olaf must have been that snowman she made for a child yesterday.

"Yes and you made me" said Olaf with a small smile,

"Olaf" said Elsa with a small smile then paused and added "Hold on" she moved her hand and made a snow flurry appear on the head of the snowman to keep him from melting.

"My own winter flurry! Thank you thank you" said Olaf,

"No problem" said Elsa as she allowed Olaf into the house and closed the door behind them,

"Lovely home, I really like the floors" said Olaf as he waddled in,

"Come, lets get a grand tour" said Elsa with a smile, Olaf squealed happily and they together went off to explore the home.

After an hour or so of exploring Elsa realized something, this home like its master was more than what it seemed.

On the outside it looked very much like a traditional costal danish home, but on the inside... its was like a palace...it had many many rooms, hallways, each room had many beautiful furniture and strange objects, probably from other places she had never seen before.

"This is all wonderful!" said Olaf as he went ahead, the hallway they were in was painted a very vivid yellow, soon they saw a single door at the end of the hallway, said door was made entirely out of stain glass, it had a large tree in the middle and flowers on the edges.

"Wonder what is behind this door" though Elsa as she touched a door very carefully as she was afraid to break it before she opened it to reveal a paradise...

There was a large indoor garden on the other side of the door, the garden itself seems to have been inspired by the babylonian hanging garden as it was built as if a pyramid was built upside down and inside out, it was not big but was extremely extraordinary, there was a bunch of stairs leading to different levels which were all different as they had different plants and trees and such, the roof was a huge glass covered roof that allowed plenty of light in, the lower levels had fountains and the very last one had a beautiful lake with a waterfall.

"Wow" said Olaf as he walked in, Elsa followed baffled, carefully walking down the stairs, exploring each level, stopping at a pot which had pretty anemone flowers Olaf smelled them, sighting happy before sneezing causing him to loose his carrot nose.

There was a bunch of laughs and giggles, looking around Elsa saw the wisps came out from different areas of the garden, a group flew over, grabbed and placed the carrot nose back on Olaf.

"Thank you" said Olaf sniffing in relief.

They giggled at that before flying over to Elsa and chiming "Play with us"

"I am sorry but I cannot, maybe some othe-" Elsa was unable to finish as they crowded her.

Elsa yelped as she felt a pull on her hair, her hair came undone as a wisp made off with her hair ribbon.

"Give it back!" said Elsa as she reached to grab it, but they kept it out of her reach by either flying or passing it on to one another.

"Give it back" they chimmed back, imitating her before giggling and running away with Elsa chasing after them.

* * *

In the library Hans moved around, browsing the books as he hope to gather some Elsa might like, being chosen as the Firebird meant that he inherited all of the wealth and objects the other Firebirds had gathered in their life time. Several such objects were scrolls and books which were long since gone, the copies of books from the library of Alexandria was one of his possessions, his guess Bak seeing what was to come made sure that he had the copies so the knowledge would never be lost.

Looking over Hans picked some scrolls which had the secrets to better building, he wanted her to have some to help her rule along with those for leisure and entertainment.

Placing the books and scrolls down Hans turned to grab some only to jump back when the will o wisp appeared, reacting faster than Hans did they quickly grabbed his right hand and pulled, managing to get and make off with his glove.

"Hey! Give that back!" yelled Hans as he reached trying to grab his glove,

"Give that back" mimicked the will o wisp,

"I am not playing games!" demanded Hans,

"Catch us!" chirped the will o wisp before flying away with the glove,

"Come back here!" yelled Hans as he ran after her.

* * *

"Stop!" yelled Elsa as she chased after the giggling wisps as they lead her up and down and all around the garden.

"Stop!" They mimicked then giggling as they went around keeping the ribbon out of her grasp.

Taking a sharp turn she collided with somebody.

Groaning Elsa turned to get up, only to freeze when she felt fabric and skin. Getting a good look she saw it was Hans.

Both turned red and quickly got up, excusing one another and blindly took the objects that the wisps stole while the wisps themselves were snickering.

"Uhh this is mine" said Elsa as she pointed at the ribbon Hans had.

"Sorry" said Hans as he handed the ribbon over "I do not know what got into them" as he scooped up and put on the glove quickly.

"Why do you wear gloves?" asked Elsa as she placed a lock of her hair behind her ear,

"I... I rather not say, not now..." said Hans softly then added "I like your hair that way",

"Thank you" said Elsa deciding to let that go for now, but she will ask again later on till she gets her answer,

"When will you two kiss?" They heard starteling them,

"Olaf!" Elsa said embarrassed while Hans stared baffled at the talking snowman,

"What? Your both thinking it why not just do it? Just kiss, kissy wheezy" said Olaf making the two grow redder and redder to the point they could not even look at one another.

When they heard something, "I will get the door!" declared Hans as he turned and left quickly.

Running through the halls he thank whoever knocked before opening the door to find it was Sylvia.

"Sylvia?" asked Hans confused as he though she would not talk to him in a while after their last conversation.

"Hans" said Sylvia as she pulled her hood down and moved her hair a bit,

"What are you doing here? Not that I am never happy to see a friend" said Hans rubbing the back of his head,

"I may be mad, but knowing you will not change your mind and fighting is useless so I decided to make peace and help Elsa prepare for a Gala Marius is holding at his home" said Sylvia.

"Help Elsa?" asked Hans suspiciously, but was not able to say anything as Elsa walked over with Olaf the snowman,

"A party? How nice!" said Olaf as he walked over.

Startled Sylvia screamed and kicked Olafs head off by mistake. Luckily it landed on a pillow.

"Sylvia!" said Hans as he walked over and reuinted his head with his body.

"Its fine, nice kick though" said Olaf as he moved and said "Will I go too?",

"I do not know, can he?" said Hans as he turned and looked at Sylvia who though then said "Alright",

"I will go! This is happiest day of my life" cheered Olaf and in his excitement he went to hug Hans only for him to jump back and say "Wow, no Olaf, bad idea",

"Come on its just a hug" said Olaf "How can you not want a hug?",

"I am fire, I can burn things to ashes, I do not want to take chances in melting you Olaf" explained Hans.

Olaf frowned and said "But some people are worth melting for".

Moving a bit Hans sighted and said to change the subject "Any way, Elsa, Olaf, this is Sylvia Arbores, fateweaver of trees, plants and such, we go way back" he gestured to Sylvia, Elsa nodded as she recognized Sylvia and said "Its nice to meet you".

Sylvia grimly nodded and said "Yes, and yes we go back, the stories I can tell you",

"Stories I like stories" said Olaf,

"Then you will love these" said Sylvia with a tight smile "Like the time Hans almost cremated the kitchen, his little picasso disaster back in grade school, such fun",

"Picasso disaster?" asked Elsa confused as she did not know what a Picasso is,

"Hey! They do not need to know that" said Hans turning all red embarrassed.

"Alright fine, since we are running on such short time we best be going" said Sylvia "Come along, we will have much to do and such short time and Hans, Marius and Rohan asked to see you back at the edge of town".

With that the group left, "I must ask where did you get that remarkable snowman?",

"I made him" said Elsa.

Watching them go Hans could not help but feel worried, he wanted to trust Sylvia would not hurt, but could not help but feel like she will, so with unsureness Hans too left to meet up with Rohan and Marius.

* * *

Arriving to a shopping district Elsa looked around the bustling area as she followed Sylvia to a clothing store, inside all of the dresses on display were quite fantasical, almost too good to be true.

"Since the gala is a masked ball all of us will be wearing costumes" explained Sylvia as she looked around. For a moment Elsa detected a slight cold tone in her voice towards her.

"Oh how can I choose? Their all so beautiful" said Elsa hoping she had heard wrong,

"Well usually the ones we pick describes us in a certain way" said Sylvia "For myself I will go as a peach blossom tree? Their graceful and beautiful" as she gestured a dress which the top was brown, had ruffles and beautiful pink and peach color flowers embroidered on it,

"Its beautiful" said Elsa with a small smile then asked "What do you suggest for me to wear?" soon she regretted it when Sylvia said "A horse" and pulled out a less than appealing dress.

"Well its uhh unusual" said Elsa trying to be polite,

"Humm your right" said Sylvia as she put it back then rummaging through the clothes she pulled out another even worse than the last.

"A mule would fit you quite nicely" said Sylvia.

Elsa said nothing as she stared, the hostility Sylvia had for her was shown very clearly there.

"Oh don't give me that innocent look, you know what you did" said Sylvia "Quite frankly I do not know what Hans is thinking, out of all the people; Why you? A sorry excuse of a Solberg, do us all a favor and go home for your not wanted or welcomed here; Stay away from Hans, for you may have fooled him, but not us, we know you just want power like your ancestors before you" with that she turned her back and left.

"That's not true!" said Elsa baffled, she knew Sylvia would not be welcome as Hans had warned her, but hoped to change her mind,

"Oh really? Well I am not taking chances, I will not let Hans doom us all because of you" growled Sylvia "Go home before I make you" with that she turned and left leaving Elsa alone to think.

"Elsa" said Olaf who walked into the store to check on Elsa and Sylvia, saying nothing Elsa turned and left,

"Elsa?" said Olaf worried as he followed her worried.

* * *

Night arrived to the Underground Kingdom, the gates were opened and people all swarmed into the gardens to go to Marius party. As the guest entered wearing their finest clothes, which everybody in the underground had the finest and beautiful of everything, even the lower class citizens had beautiful and fine clothes, homes and had wonderful food, so there was no excuse to look frumpy especially when it comes to parties, especially when knowing that the Fateweavers would be there.

One such being Hans who was waiting outside of Marius home while the party was starting, moving around he stopped every now and then to look at his pocket watch.

"I am sure she will be over, just be patient" said Marius as he was dressed like a knight, his armor was very stylish with many designs, it shone as it was polished silver and the gold glittered as if it was like magic.

"Ya" said Rohan as he looked on, he wore a viking costume, it was leather and fur, he could pass off as a chief or Odin himself.

"Something wrong?" asked Hans as it was not like Rohan to be like this.

"Its Sylvia, she is... pretty mad about...you know" said Rohan,

"Oh" said Hans as he easily guessed,

"Ya, I mean I can tell Elsa is a nice girl and all, but can you blame Sylvia and the rest of us for being worried" Marius said "After all the balance of the world and peoples safety is our priority and with what happened in the past...",

"I know, but just give Elsa a chance, I promise you the past will not repeat itself" said Hans softly, he could understand their worries, but he wished they trust him and his decision "Maybe after this party they might get to know Elsa better" though Hans as he did Sylvia walked over, but neither Elsa or Olaf were there.

"Sylvia, where is Elsa?" said Hans a bit of a stern tone coming to his voice.

"Elsa? She is not coming?" said Sylvia dismissingly,

"What did you do?" demanded Hans as he guessed something happened,

"I just said what I had to say" said Sylvia crossing her arms.

"Sylvia!" said Rohan shocked knowing what she would have said,

"What? Its the truth!" snapped Sylvia,

"Sylvia I am going to put a stop to this! You have no right!" snapped Hans,

"I am calling it as it is! You cannot afford to take such chances with a woman who might as well doom you!" snapped Sylvia,

"You have no right! Its my choice not yours to make!" growled Hans as he turned and left,

"Your kidding me, your going to choose that loose woman" said Sylvia outraged.

It was the wrong thing to say, turning Hans gave Sylvia the angriest look she had ever seen him give her "Don't ever call her that again" Hans warned before leaving while Rohan and Marius stared shocked, they knew Sylvia was coming from a good place but she had no right to do what she did.

* * *

Sitting down on her bed Elsa muled over her options, she could go back to Arendelle, it was clear that she was not welcomed there and the Fateweavers, specifically Sylvia made sure that she knew that. But she could not, not yet, if she left she would be a proving her bad intentions.

"What to do?" though Elsa when she heard a knock.

For a moment she wondered if it was Olaf, if it was she was glad as she needed somebody to talk to, so getting up from bed Elsa walked over to the door and opened it only to be surprised to find Hans on the other side. He was dressed in finery as he was ready for the Gala, but because she was not there he looked quite disappointed and crossed his arms before saying "Why are you not ready?",

"Oh... I though you changed your mind about having me there" said Elsa looking away trying to hide her hurt,

"If I did I would have told you myself" said Hans, he reached and placed a hand gently on the side of her head then added "I am sorry about Sylvia, she is wrong and her words were false",

"It was nothing, nothing happened" said Elsa, she did not want to cause trouble between Hans and his friends,

"Regardless what she said was wrong and for her behavior I apologize" said Hans gently,

"No need, I had it coming... my family" said Elsa sadly.

"You did not, stop thinking about it" said Hans shaking his head "Your innocent of your families crimes", Elsa sighted and pressed her head against his hand.

After a while Hans said "Since were not going to the Gala, how's about I take you somewhere else?",

"Where?" asked Elsa,

"You will see" said Hans mysteriously.

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Sylvia does come out as mean, but she is scared of what can happen, sadly she is going about it the wrong way. Any way hope you stay tuned for the next chapter and please leave a review to tell me what you think.**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **About the shadows well... I cannot say... but this chapter should show more about it.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

The clock tower of the Underground kingdom tolled softly, it was midnight and everybody either was in their homes sleeping or at Marius party, because of this the streets were empty as Elsa followed Hans to an unknown destination.

"Where are we going?" asked Elsa after a while,

"I have to show you something" Hans answered then added "Don't worry, nothing scary, I promise".

With that she continued to follow him till they were out of town, from there they followed a path to a forest, it seemed dark as there were many thick trees and very deep making it seem as though it had no end.

Quietly Hans lead her inside the forest and as they walked Elsa noticed the deeper they went into the forest the darker it got as the illusion of the moon and stars no longer shone the way.

"Uh, maybe we should turn back?" asked Elsa as she stopped as she became unsure if she wanted to follow Hans further; What if they got lost or attack by the creatures in the forest?,

"Why? This place is the most beautiful" said Hans as he gestured to a strange tree, it looked to be a weeping willow, but had these strange deep carvings that swirled around the tree, saying nothing more Hans removed his glove and place his hand on a tree trunk as it did energy came out and the tree began to glow red and gold, soon all around all the trees with the same pattern began to glow the same colors lighting the way and giving the forest a magical and ethereal look.

"Wow" said Elsa amazed,

"Try it" Hans said with a smile as he gestured to the trees.

Curious Elsa walked over and placed her hand on one of the trees, she could feel a warm ticklish sensation and soon the trees began to glow blue and purple, fear leaving Elsa found herself smiling as she admired the trees.

"Not so scary now hu?" teased Hans with a smile before continuing his way down the forest.

Elsa looked irritated at what he said but soon a smile found its way across her face.

 _Elsa:_

 _You're waking meadows in my mind_

 _Making waves across my time_

 _Oh no, oh no_

 _I got a strange magic_

 _Hans:_

 _Oh, what a strange magic_

 _Together:_

 _Oh, it's a strange magic_

 _I got a strange magic_

Stopping at a clearing Hans quickly hid behind some bushes then gestured her to join him, curious Elsa joined him and waited. Soon Hans moved some branches allowing Elsa to see a herd of unicorns made their way through the forest. Elsas eyes widen at the sight of the majestic creatures which she once swore that were not real.

 _Hans:_

 _You're sailing softly through the sun_

 _Elsa:_

 _Softly through the sun._

 _Hans:_

 _Of a land I've always known_

 _You fly so high_

 _Elsa:_

 _You fly._

 _Hans and Elsa:_

 _So high._

Moving not to disturb them Hans lead her to a rocky wall at a base of a mountain, touching the wall he found the right perches and proceeded to climb up, gesturing Elsa to follow. Which Elsa did or tried to but due to her inexperience to climb she did not go to far.

 _Hans:_

 _I get a_

 _Hans and Elsa:_

 _I got a strange magic_

 _Oh, what a strange magic_

 _Oh, it's a strange magic_

 _I got a strange magic_

Noticing this Hans climbed back down to lend her a hand, pulling her to his back which she hang on while he climbed up.

 _Elsa:_

 _Oh I'm._

 _Hans:_

 _Oh I'm_

 _Hand and Elsa:_

 _Oh, I'm never gonna be the same again_

 _Hand:_

 _Never gonna be the same again._

Arriving to firm ground he walked her over to a strange moss growing to the side. Moving it as if it was a curtain he revealed a cave and inside the cave were thousands upon thousand of crystals, all glowing in many colors.

It was like being inside the aurora borealis.

 _Elsa:_

 _Now I've seen the way it's got to end_

 _Hans :_

 _Got to end._

 _Entering Elsa smiled and ran her hand through the crystals which reacted to her magic, turning them blue._

 _Elsa:_

 _Sweet dreams_

It was like a dream to Elsa, even Hans which was strange as he had been to the cave so many times he lost interest in visiting it but now. Here surrounded by the crystals, with Elsa, it just seemed more beautiful than he remembered as he felt himself smile.

 _Hans:_

 _Sweet dreams_

 _Together:_

 _Sweet dreams_

Going through the crystals they admired the cave before heading back. Passing through the meadow on their way Hans took and offered Elsa a flower he had picked on the way back.

 _I got a strange magic_

 _Oh, what a strange magic_

 _Oh, it's a strange magic_

 _I got a strange magic_

 _I got a strange magic_

A smile reappeared on Elsa's face as she took the bloom which resembled a cross between a water lotus and a lily.

 _It's magic_

 _It's magic._

Whether it was the atmosphere or maybe the tea he had earlier, Hans found himself leaning to kiss her. She closed her eyes waiting for the kiss... one which never happened as he back away and coughed before saying "We better head back...",

"Right" said Elsa disappointed as they made their way back. The whole walk back was quiet.

"Did you have fun?" asked Hans breaking the silence,

"Yes, did you?" asked Elsa,

"Yes" said Hans, suddenly the sky turned dark as storm clouds surrounded the area as they arrived to town.

"A storm?" asked Hans confused as the rain began to pour over them.

"I though you said it was supposed to be clear night today" said Elda confused,

"It was" said Hans confused before sighting and muttering how he can never trust weather predictions before taking his hooded cloak off and putting it on Elsa.

"There, should keep you dry till we get back to my place" said Hans,

"But the rain?" asked Elsa,

"Rain does not bother me" said Hans as they continued, holding unto the cloak Elsa found herself smiling as she though of what had transpired between them, but like everything, it lasted far too little.

With a shriek Elsa felt something grab her from behind, toss her to the ground and began to drag her away.

"Elsa!" screamed Hans as he chased after her.

Then the tugging stopped, turning to face what dragged her her face turned white with terror as she saw it...

It was a creature made out of darkness and shadows, it shifted between what could have once been a human shape to a blob.

Angry it snarled and moved, raising itself up to attack but all of a sudden it shrieked as Hans attacked it first with his sword.

"Run!" yelled Hans as the creatures focus shifted to him, it attacked but Hans dodged and hacked part of it with his sword, it shrieked in anger and pain and reached, this time managing to grab Hans and throw him against the wall of the building.

Turning Elsa was going to run but stopped when Hans screamed of pain as the creature scratched him mercilessly.

She could not run, she had to do something!

Reacting Elsa shot ice at the creature, it was not effective but got its attention. Snarling it lunged towards her but she dodged and shot ice at its arm before grabbing a metal water pipe which was laying around the ground and slamming it against the arm of the creature breaking it to pieces.

The creature snarled as the arm slowly formed itself again, terrified Elsa back away as the creature proceeded then rose ready to attack only for it to shriek as Hans stabbed it on its chest, the sword turned red as his magic was channeled through, the creature yelled before it burst to ashes.

Gasping Hans looked at her, he was relief to see she was okay.

He took a step or tried to before he collapsed to the floor in a heap.

"Hans!" yelled Elsa as she ran to his side then wince at the sight of the blood and damage he sustained.

"I am okay... I am fine" said Hans,

"No your not! Your bleeding!" said Elsa horrified.

"It will be okay... I just need...help..." he said between gasps and winces of pain "Help me walk...".

Nodding Elsa took the cloak and put it over him before she slowly helped him up and they walk slowly.

Pain, that was all Hans felt as he with the help of Elsa managed to get back to his home.

Reaching for his keys he ended up dropping them twice before he managed to get a hold of them and open the door.

Entering Elsa helped Hans walk to the living room where he sat down on one of the couches, he groaned and for the first time Elsa saw the trail of blood which had been left behind.

Grabbing his leg Hans winced as he took his ruined boot off and ripped his pants from the knee to revealing a nasty injury on his leg.

It was slashed open so wide and deep Elsa could see his bone.

Gasping and breathing, Hans looked like he wanted to cry out in pain but held it in as he looked and said "Can you please help me take my coat off?".

Nodding Elsa steeled herself as she helped him take it off, his right arm was mangled and in a way that just was not normal. Once the coat was taken off along with his shirt she covered her mouth as she saw his back was slashed viciously.

"How bad is it?" asked Hans as he noticed her silence.

Swallowing Elsa lied "Its... it's not bad", apparently he did not believe her as he said "Don't lie to me".

Elsa winced and said "It's bad...".

Hans nodded, pointed and said "Kitchen...pantry, left side third row, green bottle...bring it please".

Nodding Elsa went to the kitchen and opened up the pantry, it was full of strange bottles with even weirder liquids. Finding the green one she took that, left and gave it to Hans.

Taking it he winced as he poured the stuff all over his injuries. But as painful as it was it was very effective as his wounds healed up, leaving no trace of him ever being injured.

"Thank you" said Hans as he got up, he winced as there was still a little pain and some weakness but he was okay.

"Your welcome..." said Elsa still terrified of what she saw then asked the dreaded question "What was that!?"

Hans seemed to hesitate before saying "As much as I wish to say it was nothing...it was something... it was a shadow demon" as he walked over and looked out the window before drawing the curtains close "Their not supposed to be in town, not with the barriers put up",

"Shadow demon? What is that? and what do you mean by their not supposed to be here?" asked Elsa worried, he simply shook his head and said "You don't need to worry... for now we must stay inside for the time being".

Elsa nodded, she was thankful for hearing that as the encounter left her shaking, there was no way she would look at shadows or the dark the same way again.

"Are you hurt?" he asked,

"I am okay" said Elsa, not looking convinced Hans gave her the green bottle and said "Just in case", Elsa nodded then asked again "What are shadow demons?".

Rubbing the back of his neck Hans remained silence as if thinking what to say before answering "You know how I told you that the Will o wisps are souls which are redeemable?",

"Yes and that they have to work to earn reincarnation" said Elsa as she remembered when he explained that to her,

"Yes, the shadow demons, their souls also, but unlike the will o wisps their soul of people who have been so evil and cruel in life that when they die they loose their humanity, becoming shadow demons to forever wander the earth, spreading chaos, misery and death" said Hans,

"That's horrible" said Elsa,

"I know" said Hans with a sight "I do not know why they attacked, usually they stay away from me",

"Usually?" asked Elsa,

"I hunt them down every so often, but when I do not they stay away as I can kill them quite easily" said Hans,

"Apparently that one was bold enough to try" said Elsa,

"Probably" Hans paused then shook his head before saying "Its late, we better head on to bed",

"Yes" said Elsa unsure if she would even be able to sleep tonight.

* * *

The storm got worse as the night progressed, lightning to crashed so hard it scared Elsa wide awake.

Shaking Elsa looked around the room, it was dark, only lit up whenever a lightning crashed nearby, but this brought no comfort to her. It made her feel more scared, not because of the shadow demons, but because of how it reminded her of how her parents died in a shipwreck caused by a terrible storm, similar to tonight.

There was another crash and it was so loud that it made Elsa jump out of her bed, run out of her room and down the hallway.

She ran down the many hallways in the dark before finding a dead end, pressing her back against it she breathed, desperately trying to calm her racing heart and nerves.

Falling to her knees she pressed her head against them trying to ignore the crashes when a blue light got her attention.

Looking she was surprised to find the will o wisps crowding the hallway. They whispers softly as more appeared and they moved to forming a path.

"Follow us, follow us" they seemed to whisper.

Slowly getting up Elsa debated on wether she should or not, but another lightning crash made her choose to follow them.

Following the will o wisps they took her down the hall, up some stairs and finally they stopped at a very familiar door, it was Hans room. They vanished when Elsa arrived there making her realized that this was where they wanted to take her.

Trying out the door knob she found that it was locked so she knocked on the door.

"Go away!" a voice said from behind it making her jump.

For a moment she waited and wondered about Anna, was this what Anna saw when she was locked in her room? A locked door which never seemed to open? Her saying to go away?

"I am sorry?" she said, she heard foot steps and the door opened to find Hans half asleep.

"What do you wrong?" He said, he seems to not be fully awake or aware of his surroundings as he sounded drousy.

"I " began Elsa before a crash landed so close that the home shook. Spooked the first instinct she had was to run.

"Wait wait, calm down" said Hans as he grabbed her by her arm. There was another crash, Elsa tensed and looked like she was going to drop on the ground.

Realizing what was going on Hans brought her over into a hug, pressed against him Elsa shivered, almost like a leaf in a hurricane.

Slowly he walked her into his room and sat her on his bed.

Elsa stayed like that till she said "They died this way...a storm...every time there is one I think about them... about what they might have felt when they died".

Hans frowned as he knew what her parents had though on their last moments but decided not to say as it would not be healthy for her to know.

"I am sorry for your parents passing" said Hans,

"Don't be" said Elsa then added softly "I never got to thank you for bringing them back",

"It was long overdue... Like any parent they wanted to return home to their children" said Hans.

There was silence then Elsa asked "Was it you?",

"Was I what?" asked Hans,

"The one who sent that dream to me about my parents?" asked Elsa.

Sighting Hans said "Yes, but it was no dream... it was the least I could do to bring you all together... even if it was for a little while".

Closing her eyes Elsa sighed and pressed herself against him as she whispered "Thank you...for everything",

"It is nothing, I made a promise and I kept it" said Hans softly "It is truly a privilege... you and Anna are the most special people I have ever met", before Elsa could answer another loud crash made her jump again, "Better get some sleep... we can talk in the morning" said Hans as he got up from the bed "You can sleep in my bed, I will sleep on the floor",

"No no, it's your room" said Elsa feeling a little guilty,

"It would be wrong if you did not" said Hans insisted,

"We can sleep in the same bed" offered Elsa,

"It's wrong for unmarried people to share the same bed" said Hans,

"Nothing will happen, you just take one side and I'll take the other" said Elsa.

Seeing that she was not going to change her mind Hans relented and went to bed, getting on his side he asked "Are you comfortable?",

"Yes" said Elsa,

"Good night" said Hans,

"Good night, see you in the morning" said Elsa as she pressed her head against the pillow, closing her eyes to sleep.

With a wave of his hand Hans put out all of the candlelight before he too went to sleep.

 ** _To be continued..._**

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, now with the shadow demons running around what will happen next? You will have t wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter.**_


	25. Chapter 25

**_Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better._**

 _ **A**_ _ **ny way, hope you all enjoy this new chapter of the firebird, read on and please remember to leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

 _What a strange dream... she was running through fields of white, it was soft but it was not snow, the place was bright, probably because of the whiteness which was all around._

 _Stopping she noticed a group of people up ahead, they were all sitting down as if having a pick nick._

 _At first she did not know who they were till she got a closer look. It was Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Hans, they were all talking and seemed to have a good time._

 _Happily she ran over wanting to join them, but as soon as she got there she noticed how quiet and still they got, ignoring it for a bit she reached and touched Anna to get her attention only for them to crumble under her touch as if their bodies were made out of sand._

 _All around the light was replaced by darkness which soon took form of a shadow demon, it growled at her before lunging at her._

* * *

Elsa gasped as a loud thunder shook the home. Looking around disoriented Elsa shook and shivered , that dream had been so real she swore it actually was happening. Taking a breath or two she calm down before looking around and sighting when she saw she was not in that place and there was no shadow demon, but it took her a moment before she remembered that she was not in Arendelle or the guest room Hans had given her, but Hans room.

Suddenly she froze when she felt movement from the other side of the bed, fearfully she looked before sighting in relief when she found it was Hans still turned a bit so he was facing her, his head was buried deep into the pillow.

"And I though I slept deep" though Elsa as she reached and ran her hand through his hair gently, down to his side burns.

Curious Elsa moved her hand and placed it on his shoulder before running it down his arm, the loose and thin fabric of the night shirt he wore allowed her to feel the muscles in his arms and his surprisingly smooth skin. For Elsa this was the first time she had skin to skin contact with a man before, as she always made sure to avoid as much contact as she could in the past, later on the only contact she had was her sisters hugs or the occasional kiss on her hand covered glove by other people, true she had hugged Hans in his firebird form, but was officially the first time she had this kind of contact.

Feeling a bit bolder Elsa placed her hand and reached under his shirt, feeling his abdomen and chest, it was strong as she had imagined as he looked the type to be fit and healthy, a bit of hair which tickled her hand, his heart thumping softly, skin warm, Elsa almost wanted to press herself against him as she was sure if she did she would feel warm and safe.

It was then that she noticed, even while he slept he wore gloves.

"Why?" though Elsa softly as she was baffled about it, as far as she knew he had no reason to wear gloves, he has complete control and confident over his magic, not like her, so why did he use gloves?

Curious Elsa reached, hesitating a bit before grasping his left hand and began to pull his glove off only to scream when Hans hand suddenly grasp unto her as he woke up.

For a moment Hans looked a bit disoriented as he was still half asleep, but when he realized where he was he let go and said "Sorry... I though you were somebody else",

"Its okay..." said Elsa and she meant it as she felt bad she woke him up but at the same time wondered what that was about.

Nodding Hans got up from bed making Elsa look away from Hans, trying not to look at him as she realized he only wore a very thin linen shirt, no drawers.

As Hans walked to his wardrobe and opened it he said "I was thinking and I do not feel comfortable leaving you with no protection against the shadow demons",

"What will you do?" asked Elsa curious,

"I know I cannot protect you twenty four seven, so I will give you a weapon, so you can protect yourself against them if ever you encounter them" said Hans as he finished dressing then added "You can look now", Elsa looked and saw him dressed before saying "I do not know how to fight the shadow demons",

"That's why I will train you" said Hans as he walked over, took her hand and said "I promised you that I would protect you, but I am afraid of the what if I am not there, so I will train you, so you will stay safe even if your not there".

Elsa looked, the look on Hans face worried her, she knew he was trying to keep a calm face, but there was no way he could mask the worry, so she nodded and said "Alright, I will have you teach me", Hans forced a smile before kissing her forehead and saying "You will be okay, I promise you that"

* * *

Anger gripped the duke as he held a letter which had been stolen from a messenger.

It was from the King and Queen of Corona.

Opening it he read it out loud causing an outrage at what was written

 _"Dear Elsa;_

 _When your parents died I always felt as though it was my responsibility to protect you. So I am happy to see that you not only have grown on your own, but also found a partner in life who supports your endeavors and is there for you. So it makes me proud to write this letter, yes me and your aunt approve of your marriage to Prince Hans. We wish you both the best and all the happiness in the world._

 _Sincerely King Frederik and Queen Arianna_

 _Ps: We hope to be the first to get an invitation to your wedding"_

"How could this have happened?!" growled one of the councilmen outraged at the contents of the letter.

"That bird has finished all the trials! The public loves him! The Church supports the marriage! And now Elsa seems to have fallen for the creature" growled another lord "There is no stopping this marriage!",

"This is not over yet! One way or another this marriage will not happen!" growled the Duke as he paced around, there was a way but they doubted Queen Elsa would do it, they had to make her break the engagement, how they did not know as Queen Elsa made no indication that she would break the engagement.

"And a way there is" a voice said, the group went quiet as a they looked around, surely they were alone... but it seems they were not... soon a dark hooded figure walked over, seemingly appearing out if nowhere.

"Hello gentlemen" said the figure, he wore a dark hooded cloak with silver shadowy like motifs,

"What?! Who are you?!" demanded the Duke suspiciously,

"The solution to your dilema" the person walking over and sat on one of the chairs.

"And why should we trust you?"demanded the Duke,

"We both want the same thing...I do not want the Firebird to marry Elsa and of course you do not want Elsa to marry the Firebird" said The person then added "Thats why we should work together",

"So what do you suggest?!" snarled the Duke at this point he did not care what he had to do to get rid of the Firebird so he can force Queen Elsa to marry his nephew.

The figure smirked as if the duke had asked the right question and said "If there is one thing that I have learned about love is this... love is always conditional... so all we have to do is show the Elsa the Firebirds ugly side"

The group looked confused then their eyes widen before they too began to smirk.

"We must act quickly, so do as I say and we will both want to get what we want" said the figure as to discuss the plan.

* * *

After the rain it had been a nice sunny cool day, not that Elsa could enjoy it as Hans dragged her back to the gardens for some intense training. The first thing they did was some warm ups then they ran some laps through the garden, which included going up and down stairs followed by more warm ups.

Though they barely begun Elsa felt a bit winded out and short of breath, her guess it would have been a whole lot worse if she had been wearing a corset, which he told her not to wear and instead gave her some strange replacement, it was like a corset but smaller, it looked to be designed to only hold her chest and nothing more allowing her more movement such as bending down or taking better breaths and she could put it on herself quite easily as the laces to tie it up were located in the front not the back.

When she asked about it he turned a bit red as he stuttered a bit in explaining about how that is the typical undergarment worn by woman in the Underground Kingdom as corsets were seen as too hazardous for health. Of course Elsa wanted to wear her corset but decided to wear the replacement seeing that Hans probably went through a lot of trouble and a bit of embarrassment to get them for her.

Right now she was grateful she did as she hated to think how winded out she might have been if she wore her corset.

"Its okay you will get there" said Hans as he walked to the wise where he had placed some sticks and a couple of other things. Picking two of the long sticks made out of wood he handed one to Elsa.

"You make it look so easy" said Elsa holding it,

"Years of practice, unlike your magic, my magic comes from within me, because of that I always have to be healthy and in top shape" said Hans,

"What happens if your not?" asked Elsa,

"It can kill me" said Hans then explained "Every time I use magic it drains me bit by bit, but over time its restored, but if used too much at once my energy cannot be regenerated fast enough",

"So its like endurance?" asked Elsa,

"A bit of that... I was trained since I was young so my energy can regenerate quickly, but I still have to be careful" said Hans as he got into an en-guard stance and said "It will be a bit of hard work for you, you suffer from not having enough sun and not enough movement or exercise, this of course is not your fault but it will prove to be a problem when or if you face a shadow demon",

"Why?" asked Elsa as she followed his pose and he moved into a different stance and movements for attacking or blocking having her copy him,

"Shadow demons are a lot more tougher than you think their are, their vicious, they can smell fear, find a weakness and take advantage of it" said Hans then added seriously "Your muscles are like marshmallow, your bones are probably soft and they will pick up on that immediately",

"Great...so how can I hold my own against them?" said Elsa, to her if that was true then this was a hopeless cause,

"Cause you have an advantage over them" said Hans "Your ice magic, you can use it to freeze them temporarily, during that state you can turn any bad situation around and gain the upper hand against them, its up to you to take advantage of every chance you get... keep your stance strong and maintain balance if not then the enemy can throw you aside easily".

He moved and had her follow, his movements getting faster and Elsa had trouble keeping up.

The next thing Elsa knew Hans turned and charged at her, tackling her down and holding her in a bear hug, "I won" said Hans with a smirk,

"Because you cheated! I was not ready!" said Elsa,

"Everything is fair in war" said Hans as he got up and began to carry her off,

"Hans what are you doing? Stop! Let me go! STOP! NO!" yelled Elsa as she was tossed into the pool, gasping and shaking she stood up and yelled "What are you-" before she could finish she shrieked as he took off his linen shirt, tossed it at her then jumped into the pool, landing next to her purposefully splashing her.

"Argh! Your immature do you know that!?" yelled Elsa irritated,

"Maybe?" Hans answered teasingly,

"Aren't you a little too old for these things?!" said Elsa, her response was him splashing her.

"That's it!" though Elsa splashing him back, but using her magic to make the water as cold as possible,

"Cold!" yelled Hans as he jumped awake shaking, Elsa laughed and said "Don't mess with the Snow Queen",

"Alright Snow Queen this means war" said Hans playfully as he splashed her back and soon a water fight ensued between them, Elsa having the upper hand as she used her ice to freeze the water a bit and make barriers around her.

"No fair! Your cheating!" yelled Hans,

"Wasn't it you who said everything was fair in war?" asked Elsa playfully reminding him what he had said before, but before Hans could even answer he heard "Hey! Don't leave me out of it!".

Looking the two stared in a bit of panic as Olaf ran over,

"No Olaf no no no no NO!" yelled Elsa and Hans as they tried to stop the snowman but it was too late as Olaf ran over and jumped into the pool, it landed in the water with a solid thud making both Elsa and Hans wince at the sound.

"Humm...this was not what I had in mind" said Olaf as his snow man body began to float in different directions.

Laughing nervously and mostly glad that the snow flurry had kept Olaf from melting Hans and Elsa gathered Olaf and put him back together on solid ground,

"That's more like it" said Olaf,

"Olaf you need to be more careful" said Elsa scolding him lightly,

"I know, you two were having such a good time that I wanted to join in" said Olaf,

"Even so, be careful the next time, we don't want you getting hurt" said Hans,

"Okay okay" said Olaf as he waddled away, probably going back inside, once gone Hans sighted "That was scary, for a second I though he was going to dissolve in the water",

"Are you doubting my ice magic?" said Elsa,

"No not at all my queen" said Hans chuckling a bit,

"Good" said Elsa.

For the next couple of minutes they took it easy, swimming around or just relaxing and talking about this and that, then Elsa asking more questions.

"The will o wisps" began Elsa,

"What about them?" asked Hans curious,

"When did you meet or did they just appear" asked Elsa,

"In truth they found me" said Hans.

* * *

 _"Hans!" Agathe's voice sounded in echo through the towers of london._

 _Giggling 12 year old Hans ran up some stone stairs of an abadoned tower, it was dark and damp, the only brightness came from his red and gold cloak which dragged a bit behind on the ground._

 _Hidding he pulled his hood back a bit as it tended to fall and cover his head completly blinding him._

 _"Hans!" Agathe screamed again as she went up the stairs and looked around very angry "Hans! You better come out right now!"_

 _Covering his mouth Hans stiffled a bit of laughter as Agathe left the tower muttering something about a certain brat (namely him) being in so much trouble when she got her hands on him._

 _When she left Hans aloud hinself to laugh out loud only to stop when he heard laughs..._

 _His face grew pale as he looked around, the laughs sounded like kids, probably around his age more or less._

 _Suddenly from the wall two lights appeared from the wall._

 _Hans did the first thing that he though..._

 _Scream bloody murder and run out of the tower like a bat out of hell._

 _He continued to scream and run till he slammed against somebody._

 _"Hans!" He heard, it was Agathe, before he could say anything she grabbed him by his ear and pulled on it._

 _"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! DID I NOT TELL YOU TO STAY CLOSE AND NOT WANDER OFF?!" she yelled,_

 _"But! Light!" said Hans as he pointed,_

 _"No buts! We are going home and when we get there you will have more chores to do and you will write me 5 boards of why you should not run off" said Agathe before she dragged him off._

 _All the time Hans looked back at the tower terrified._

* * *

 _There were soft whispers, soft yet woke Hans up._

 _Looking around he wondered if he was dreaming._

 _The kitchen where he slept was dark covered with many blue lights._

 _At first he questioned what he was seeing before all of a sudden he realized what they were from Rudi and Runos stories._

* * *

 _"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" a scream wole Agathe up, looking around she got up and grumbled something incoherently._

 _Wrapping a robe she walked down and just as she did Hans ran up the stairs screaming._

 _Before she could scold him about running on the stairs she noticed bluish light following him._

 _Realizing what was going on Agathe though "I was wondering when this was going to happen"._

 _Turning she walked upstairs, time to have the talk._

* * *

 _Sitting down Hans looked at the lights, the will o wisps._

 _"So... Rudi and Runo were wrong? Their not evil or steal you away?" asked Hans unsure then flinched when one tried to get close to him._

 _"Yes, their souls that is true, but their redemable souls, people who were forced to do evil to survive or children or people who did not get a chance to live" said Agathe "Its normal for them to be around you",_

 _"So... they will not go away?" asked Hans,_

 _"No, their here till you use your magic to grant them reincarnations" said Agathe "They have to work for it though, doing good deeds, but at rhe same time they can be very mischievous"._

 _"Oh..." said Hans,_

 _"Will explain more so for now" said Agathe as she began to shoo the will o wisps away "shoo shoo, go back to your places, its late and we all need our sleep"._

 _The will o wisps whined before leaving out the open windows and others disappeared._

 _Looking something told Hans that being a phoenix and fate weaver would be harder than he though._

* * *

Elsa covered her mouth as she tried not to laugh before saying "Cute...",

"Since then they follow me around and such" said Hans shrugging,

"Alright so what was that Picasso disaster Sylvia mentioned?" asked Elsa curious,

"Oh that... it was nothing...just something I did when I was a kid" said Hans looking away embarrassed,

"What did you do?" asked Elsa even more curious,

"I rather not say" said Hans,

"You know my embarrassing moment, so now you have to tell me yours" said Elsa,

"What moment?" asked Hans playing dumb,

"The pic nic incident, I overheard Anna telling you" said Elsa,

"Alright fine...this is what happened.." said Hans.

* * *

 _The school day was like any other and quite frankly at first Hans was terrified, but now he was happy that he was going to school._

 _True the classmates were overly formal when around him or scared but he did not feel as lonely as he had been back home in the Southern isles._

 _Stroking his charcoal pencil Hans frowned at the disaster of a mess he made._

 _He had been trying to draw a horse, but all attempts to do so ended up with something that looked like a troll or otherworldly creature that had drop down and died._

 _Huffing Hans had all but decided to give up, he may be good at metalwork and music, but when it came to painting he failed miserably._

 _"I am going to fail" huffed Hans frustrated as he ran his hands through his hair as he feared what would happen if he brought Agathe another failed grade._

 _A's and B's were acceptable, but Agathe would never accept anything less than that._

 _"Your a smart child, use your head" she would scold before sending him off to practice his calligraphy as punishment for bad grades._

 _Hans shivered at the though, it was then he got an idea..._

 _Magic...he had magic so he can use it to make his drawing better and get a decent grade...it should not be too hard._

 _Looking around he made sure the teacher was not looking as the school had a strict no magic is to be used unless in classes with involved magic being used._

 _Confident she was not watching Hans took off his glove quickly and concentrated, willing the magic to change the drawing to something better._

 _At first it worked as the charcoal shifted and changed, but then all of a sudden._

 _"BOOM!" A loud explosion was heard followed by blackness._

 _Everybody screamed as it had gotten so dark it was as if they had been dipped in ink and let loose in a coal mine._

* * *

 _Walking home from school people stopped and stared, trying hard not to snicker at Hans who was completely covered in charcoal making his appearance look pitch black._

 _As he walked he sulked as he knew he would be in big trouble when he got home._

 _A little bit up ahead he noticed Rohan, Marius and Sylvia._

 _While Sylvia and Rohantried not to laugh Marius was not so tactful as he doubled over laughing at Hans._

 _"Umm should I ask" said Sylvia as she tried to stifle her snickers._

 _"No" said Hans glumly,_

 _"Don't worry I already know what happened" said Marius between laughs as he had heard teachers talking about it "Picasso over there wanted to play with charcoal, as a result he and everybody looks like walking coals" (they know who Picasso is because of future sight)_

 _"Oh ha ha, laugh it up" said Hans crossing his arms "Your hands are not the ones who will fall off when they get home",_

 _"What do you mean by that?" asked Rohan,_

 _"My punishment...Agathe will surely have me practice my calligraphy till I die for this" said Hans,_

 _"That is your punishment? I would kill for that" said Sylvia "my punishment back then was that I had to wear these girly girly outfits with mayor poofy skirts",_

 _"Boring" said Marius "At least your punishment was not to scrape off barnacles",_

 _"Or chop wood" said Rohan,_

 _"Either way...Agathe will have my head when I get home" said Hans,_

 _"Come on it's not that bad, think of it this way, if she does have your head you will rise again" said Marius before laughing._

 _"Oh ha ha" said Hans rolling his eyes before heading back home as he just wanted his punishment to get it over with._

* * *

"Who knew you were such a trouble maker when you were a child" said Elsa snickering,

"Tell me one child who was a perfect angel" said Hans,

"True" said Elsa before Hans began to leave the pool,

"Be right back" he said as he got out of the pool making Elsa look away, he quickly put on his shirt then went up the stairs immediately. Once gone Elsa covered her face and groaned into it. About 10 minutes passed before Hans showed up with towels, handing her one.

"Thank you" said Elsa as she accepted it, a bit dry they went back upstairs.

* * *

Sitting back against the a chair Lars looked outside, the Southern isles was under his control now, not that the rebels stood a chance. He chuckled at that as he remembered the look on their faces when they saw him.

"I wonder if this was why father liked being a tyrant, having people fear you is such fun" he though but then shook his head at that, no, he did not take over the Southern isles to torture people. No, he did it to restore the isles to their former glory, to give himself and his brother their home back.

Of course all that is missing is his brother, but he would be coming home soon, by then everything would be ready and there would be nothing else to worry about.

"Hopefully Hans will understand, given time" though Lars as he turned and left the tower to take a stroll down the palace when he was stopped by a group of shadow demons, they all seem to tremble and look nervous.

"What?" said Lars, nudging one over one of the shadow demons flew over and whispered something to Lars.

His eyes turned black with anger as he growled "I said to bring him here not to attack him!" the shadow demons trembled as dark shadows curled up around Lars, reacting to his anger.

"Were sorry..." they whispered, it was a raspy whisper,

"You all better be" growled Lars as he turned and left.

* * *

Light tapping woke Elsa from her sleep, looking around she found she was in the library, at first she was unsure about how she got there till she remembered Hans brought her there to show her some scrolls, they were old but very beautiful, when unrolled the pictured moved as if the story was alive.

"Must have fallen asleep" though Elsa as she rubbed her eyes awake as she moved, when she did she saw that while she was asleep she had curled up against him, he too was asleep, his arm was gently placed over her protectively.

Placing her hand on his cheek Elsa stroke it gently causing Hans to wake, groggily he looked and asked "What time is it?", looking at a clock Elsa answered "Its about 3 pm",

"A bit of a nap we took" said Hans as he got up to his feet before helping her up "Tomorrow we will practice our magic, but not here, we will do it in the Fateweavers training ground, more space",

"And less things to damage" added Elsa,

"Things hold no meaning, its people I worry about hurting" said Hans, Elsa looked down as her mind went to that fateful night, the night she harmed her dear sister and said "Yes...I agree".

Bending down Hans picked up the scroll and turned to place it back in a case, after a while Elsa remembered then began "Hans, I have a book, the history of the phoenix",

"When did you get it?" asked Hans,

"That day I, barged in..." said Elsa turning red as she looked down then quickly said "I could not help but notice pages were missing",

"You too?" asked Hans surprised,

"Me?" asked Elsa confused,

"Yes! I have noticed that for years but whenever I pointed it out the other Fateweavers they said I was just seeing things and that the book is not missing anything" said Hans relieved,

"Why?" asked Elsa, if he noticed that and she did then why did the fateweavers say that?

After some thinking Elsa asked "Are they hiding something?",

"Their not hiding anything, they were not seeing well that is all" said Hans, but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself that was the case rather than it being a possibility or fact.

At that moment Elsa hoped that that was the case.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Hummm curiouser, why do the Fateweavers say that? What are they hiding?. Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**_ _ **Well you will have to wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think.**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **guest: Its more complicated than you think, I would say, but it would be a huge spoiler. Lol glad you like that, it was kinda funny.**_

 _ **Guest: True.**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: And you will. (Wink)**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Thunder and lightning sounded as a town outside of Denmark as the people braced themselves for the upcoming storm. All of them acted quick and closed windows, doors, everything before they locked themselves inside to keep themselves safe.

While the streets were which were supposed to be empty there was one who was outside.

Camouflaged by the dark colors of his clothes and the shadow of the alley a man, Lars stood waiting, patiently, not moving even when the storm raged on, it did not bother him or made him afraid, there was little he was afraid not a days.

As he looked at the house before him, at a candle which was flickering, his mind wondered to the past...to him... his little brother whom he longs to see again...

* * *

 _A gun shot sounded, it was so loud and deafening. This was expected of course as Lars had shot many times before._

 _The bullet impacted the birds body, going straight through it, it grew tense before droping to the ground and just paying there, so still, the only movement came from its chest as it struggled to breath._

 _Slowly the anger Lars felt was replaced by dread as a little voice inside his head told him he should not have done that._

 _Strange enough the whole area seemed to grow quiet, all around was a battle but it seems as if time stopped._

 _Suddenly a woman appeared, walking ever so calmly and gracefully, her body seemed to be made out of light, her dress flowed as if it had a life of its own, her hair was gold, her blue eyes shone, it was almost as if starring at the sun itself._

 _Lars felt fear, this woman was powerful._

 _Stopping she stared, her sight cery sorrowfully to the little bird whom Lars killed._

 _Then focused on Lars and said "You have eyes, yet you do not see, this little bird, the demon which you called, is the brother you claim to love"._

 _Lars was taken back shocked, that!... no! It cannot be!_

 _"No! How dare you lie to me!" yelled Lars,_

 _"It is the truth, one which you refuse to see" said Agathe "Now it is to late for you, your families fate has been decided... and after this your brother will never be the same again"._

 _As soon as she finished the birds body combustioned to fire turning it into ashes, yet from those ashes rose a new life, the bird was back, alive and well._

 _"Behold, death and destruction, yet hope and rebirth, your brother is now the phoenix" said Agathe._

 _Paying no mind Lars reached "My brother how i-" he was unable to touch or reach for the first thing he did was scratch him and hide behind the enchantress._

 _"Give him back!" yelled Lars,_

 _"It is his choice, not yours, he is free of you and your family" said Agathe as she turned and said "Hans, listen carefully for this is your last chance, would you like to return to your brother and resume your life as a normal boy? Or you would come with me? But be warned if you choose to come with me you will never be the same, you will carry a heavy burden as long as you live"._

 _Hans stared silently as he looked between Agathe and Lars._

 _Lars stared, mentally pleading to his brother to come home with him, making promises which he will make sure to keep this time around._

 _"I want to go with you Agathe" said Hans shocking Lars._

 _"No Hand don't! Just please come here, we can figure something out... things will be different! I promise!" Pleaded Lars,_

 _"No! I am tired of your empty promises! I am not going back! I rather die than go back!" yelled Hans then turned to Agathe "Please please take me with you",_

 _"Are you sure that this is what you want?" said Agathe,_

 _"Yes please, you were right... that place would have killed me in more ways than one... I thank you for saving me before it turned me into something horrible" said Hans._

 _Nodding she gently picked him up and left._

 _"No Hans! Don't!" yelled Lars but it was too late... they were gone...and the battle resumed..._

* * *

Lars flashback was disturbed when the candle flickering inside of a house burned off, his hand gripped on his weapon, a sickle with a long chain black chain attached to it, the blade of the sickle was like a crescent moon, the blade was obsidian, the handle was dark wood and carved on it were words of ancient magic.

Soon the window opened and from there a shadow demon came out, before it could react Lars threw the chain at it, slashing it with it, angered the shadow lunged and attacked, acting quick Lars dodged and slashed with the sickle, the shadow shrieked before Lars threw the chain around it, encircling and trapping the shadow, it shrieked and roared struggling as the chains grew tighter and tighter while they turned purple as the magic burned into its form.

Soon the shadow stopped struggling as it did the chains went slack and retreated, gathering them Lars attached the chain and sickle on his belt before walking to the shadow who immediately fell to the ground, bowing down so low its head scrapped the floor.

"Come" said Lars as he turned and began to walk away, the shadow demon subserviently followed close behind.

As Lars walked he breathed, it was not easy wrangling the shadow demons into submission, but well worth it, for each one he captured and subdued there was one less evil released into the world which was well worth the effort Lars put into his job.

After he was well away Lars allowed his shadow powers to envelop him as he changed to his bird form, it was that of a crow, a very huge one, black as night with accents of gray, much like the foul weather which always seemed to follow him. Spreading his wings he took off, flying back to the Southern isles where he could rest and wait for his time to act.

* * *

Inside the secret area where the Fateweavers gathered the training room was empty saved for Marius and Rohan, both wore trousers and simple shirts as they were looking forward for a full day of training.

"When do you think they will be here?" asked Marius,

"Soon, hopefully soon" said Rohan then pointed "Like now" as Hans and Elsa walked over, talking about one thing or the other,

"About time you two lovers showed up" said Marius as he walked over and teased "I know its hard to keep your hands off of one another but when you have friends waiting that's just rude",

"Marius no!" said Hans as he struggled to not turn red,

"No that you want us to wait or no that you two were-",

"Its not like that! We have not even kissed" said Hans while Elsa looked down feeling flustered and embarrassed,

"Do you need any help? I can help get you two lip locking in no time" offered Marius,

"Will you knock it off Marius?!" snarled Hans getting mad at Marius brazen words,

"Going to do something about it... hatchling?" said Marius with a grin, walking over Rohan placed hand on Elsas shoulder and began to back away with her while saying "Give them space",

"Why?" asked Elsa, but Rohan did not answer as he did not need to as Hans shot a ball of fire to Marius who quickly turned to water and moved around, cursing Hans threw fire, trying to keep the water from reaching a drain opening, if he got more water Hans would be at a serious disadvantage.

He continued to throw fire then cursed when the water went down the drain, once it did the ground shook a bit.

"I think we will be in a splash zone soon" said Rohan confusing Elsa when all of a sudden water broke through the drains and rose up into a giant wave which crashed against Hans and slammed against a wall, after a while the water receded and formed to Marius.

Gagging and coughing out water Hans said between breaths "You...cheat",

"Awww I love you too" cooed Marius as he walked over to Hans and helped him up before slapping his back helping him cough out the water, calming his breath down Hans turned and said "One of these days I will beat you",

"Sure... in a 100 years, but by then I will still have many more years of experience over you" said Marius then added cheekily "Now because I beat you I think there is a coat in your wardrobe that has my name on it", rolling his eyes at him Hans turned and began to walk towards Rohan and Elsa with Marius following.

"Sorry about that" said Hans,

"Yes its just a friendly spar, nothing more" said Marius as he slinging a friendly arm around Hans neck,

"Either way, were all here for the same thing, some training and to teach you how to use your magic more effectively" said Rohan,

"Yes, I can tell all those years of hiding did no good for you" cooed Marius as he walked over and patted Elsas head like a child,

"Marius personal space please" said Hans as he knew Elsa was not comfortable with Marius gesture even if he was just doing it to be friendly.

"Awww come on, I don't bite" said Marius,

"Marius, please, respect the little lady" said Rohan,

"Alright" said Marius waiving his hands up in defeat,

"So as I was saying you will start with Marius as his magic is water which is similar to yours" said Rohan,

"What about you?" asked Elsa curious,

"Lord of thunder, lightning, storms and sky" said Rohan proudly,

"Like Thor from the Norse myths?" asked Elsa curious,

"Sort of" said Rohan shrugging "Nobody every compared me to the brute, but I guess I do have similar magic to him" pausing he turned to Hans and said "Best we leave them alone",

"Alright, Elsa I will be over there if you need anything" said Hans pointing on the other side where there seemed to be an obstacle course,

"Thank you" said Elsa before they left,

"Now, show me what you got Snow queen" said Marius as he stepped back for Elsa to have space to use magic.

* * *

Quiet reigned, but it was not out of the ordinary as it was a library so it was expected that it would be quiet. Moving books and rearranging them in order a small woman was busy, picking up the last scroll which contained poems written in latin she placed it on its rightful place before getting down the stairs and straightening her black dress which made her dark honey color hair and amber eyes stand out.

Turning she left as she had things to do, true she was the head of the palace keeper, but her...employer... was very peculiar about certain tasks which he trusted only her to do it and nobody else.

Arriving to the kitchen she grabbed a tea kettle and began to boil water for tea before making sandwiches followed by some cookies, when done she arranged them on a tray before pouring the tea into a small tea pot and a cup before taking the tray and leaving with it.

Walking up the stairs and through some halls she arrived to a study, she knocked on the door. There was no, response, she tried again before walking inside. Looking around the study she noticed Lars, he was asleep on an armchair, his head was resting back against the back of the chair, a book was on his hand, probably fell asleep reading it as it was his habit.

Snickering a bit about that the woman walked in and placed the tray down on the coffee table, he did not stir as she prepared a plate and poured the tea into a cup before trying to wake him up as she was sure he had not eaten anything during the day.

"Your highness, your highness" she called as she gently shook Lars, he groaned and waved at her,

"Lars, wake up!" she finally said firmly, she was not going to allow him to sleep the day away with no food.

That did the trick as Lars jumped awake, he looked around wildly before groaning "Clara",

"Your highness, when was the last time you ate?" asked Clara worried as she held out a tea cup,

"No no, I am fine" said Lars waiving it,

"No, have some" said Clara as she forced the tea cup into his hand "I will have the chef prepare a proper meal which you will eat",

"And who you are to order me?" Lars chuckled as he took and held the cup before taking a sip,

"The one who seems to be keeping you alive" said Clara as she turned, brought a stool and sat on it before continuing "Lars... when was the last time you had a proper meal?", putting the cup down Lars seemed to think before replying "I think I had some chicken yesterday", Clara frowned at that, she knew he had gone probably a day or two without any food, probably longer as his clothes looked a bit baggy and his face looked a bit sunken.

"The guilt is eating him alive" though Clara as she knew why, he told her his story, shaking her head she said "Lars, your a good man, stop torturing yourself with what happened",

"I am not good" said Lars looking away "And don't say it was not my fault because it was... I fed my brother to the wolves for my own selfish needs" then after a sight he asked "Can I have Frikadelle?",

"Of course, I will tell the chef" said Clara, getting up she paused the walked over, kissed the top of Lars head and said "For the record, what makes you good is that your trying to fix the wrong you did, that is more than what most people would do" before leaving Lars alone with his thoughts.

* * *

"Your holding back" Elsa heard as she sat down for a breather, turning she saw Hans standing behind her, holding a tin cup,

"Here" said Hans giving her the cup, taking it Elsa sipped it to find it was water, very refreshing,

"Thank you" said Elsa after swallowing, nodding Hans sat next to her and asked "Want to talk about it?",

"Talk about what?" asked Elsa,

"Your hesitation to use magic" said Hans "Did something happened?",

"What makes you think that something happened?" asked Elsa, Hans gave her a look then said "I know more than you think, I have a feeling that whatever happened its connected to why your parents shut the world out".

Looking down Elsa said nothing, placing his glove covered hand on her hand Hans said "Its okay, I won't judge, if anything I want to help you", placing her hand on her forehead Elsa said "My sister, I hurt her with my magic" her eyes teared up "We were children, we were playing, she...she...I...I hit her with my magic...she could have died".

Saying nothing at first Hans brought Elsa over into a hug and held her close as she began to cry, "Why? Why did it had to happen? Why did I have to be born with ice magic?" Elsa whispered as she wept,

"Sometimes we do not choose the cards we are given in life, we just have to deal with what we get" said Hans softly as he held her then added "Its not your fault, it never was" said Hans,

"But if it was not my fault then whose was?" whispered Elsa,

"If you feel that way then forgive yourself, living with that guilt does no good" said Hans as he bend down and kissed her forehead reassuringly, saying nothing she held unto him a bit more, she felt secure in his embrace.

After a while Elsa said "Hans",

"Yes..." said Hans softly,

"Have you ever lost control before?" asked Elsa softly, Hans said nothing as he though then said "A couple of close calls in the past... I was feeling hurt during that time, like nobody really care about me, but it never went far because Agathe and the others were always there to reassure me, to... I am sorry... I cannot tell you...not now...".

Why? Elsa wondered, did it had anything to do with his family? With the gloves? Were those somehow connected? Elsa wanted to ask but decided not to ask as it seems to affect him a lot.

Finally Hans gently pulled away, whipped her tears with his hand gently then smiled before asking "Want to try again?", feeling better Elsa nodded before they both got up to continue their training.

But sadly before they could even start they heard "What are you all doing?!", turning Elsa, Hans, Rohan and Marius saw Sylvia walk over, she was anything but happy as she stormed over, as soon as her eyes landed on Elsa they began to shine with anger as she growled "You!" she marched over and threw her hand back to slap Elsa across the face, but before she did Hans grabbed and held Sylvias hand.

Turning Sylvia looked at Hans, he was positively enraged as he tightened his grip on her hand and said firmly "Don't you dare lay a hand on her", that to Sylvia was like pouring an accelerant in a fire as she growled "Fine!".

The next thing Hans knew he was knocked aside by Sylvia, there was a sick crack as his body hit the concrete ground, his vision swam, not waiting Sylvia used her magic, making roots rise from the ground and wrap around Hans, Rohan and Marius, immobilizing them.

With them subdued Sylvia turned to her target,

"No more interruptions" growled Sylvia as she took a menacing stance, Elsa felt the hair on the back of head stand as at that moment she knew Sylvia meant harm.

"Stay away!" yelled Elsa as she threw her ice magic at Sylvia, summoning her roots she defected it and said "Good, but not good enough" before sending the roots after her. Reacting Elsa dodged and threw ice magic at the roots,

"You could have left, but no, you just had to stay! You just want to learn all our secrets so you can benefit yourself! Admit it Elsa! Your heart of ice knows the truth!" growled Sylvia as she too dodged an ice shard before reaching to her pocket and throwing leaves which swooshed through the air, Elsa cried out as one of them cut her arm and leg before she reacted and raised a barrier to protect herself.

"Sylvia! I am not doing what you think I am doing!" shouted Elsa hoping to reason with her, the last thing Elsa wanted was to cause trouble between Hans and his fellow fateweavers,

"More lies!" shouted Sylvia furious, just then the ground opened up bellow Elsa as roots rose up and before she could react the roots circled and bound her, Elsa struggled trying to free herself but the roots bound her tighter and tighter as they closed in on her, she gagged and chocked, she could not breath, she was going to die.

"Say good bye" she heard Sylvia say,

"Sylvia! Stop! Your killing her!" she heard, it was Hans,

"Hans...help..." gagged Elsa as her vision darkened,

"I SAID STOP!" with that there was a burst of warmth, Elsa slumped to the floor gasping and coughing as the roots around her turned to ashes, breathing and weak she saw Hans confronting Sylvia.

"Out of my way! I am taking care of this outsider once and for all!" yelled Sylvia,

"You cannot do this! If you have to be mad and want to take it out on somebody take it out on me! Not Elsa!" Hans yelled back,

"Hans! Why can't you open your eyes!? This is what happened to all the others before you! They fell for the beautiful evil and look what happened!? Don't you care what will happen to us?! To the world if she uses you!" yelled Sylvia,

"I do care and its not going to happen! Elsa is not like the others!" snapped Hans tired of having this argument over and over with Sylvia, he knows she means well and takes her job seriously, but this whole situation had to stop, Elsa was not like the others and he was not like the other phoenixes before him.

"So...you won't change your mind?" asked Sylvia, her voice suddenly turning to a whisper,

"I am sorry but no... I love Elsa" answered Hans,

"But does she love you? Has she ever told you those words?" asked Sylvia, Hans looked down and did not answer, for in truth Elsa has never said that before and in truth he did not want her to say those words unless she means and wants to say them, but surely just because he has not heard Elsa say she loves him does not mean she does not love him.

"I though so" said Sylvia softly before sending more roots after Elsa,

"No!" yelled Hans as he moved quickly, getting her out of the way, getting trapped as the roots cocooned him, suffocating him, he used his flames but found them failing because of the oxygen which was being limited.

"No! Let him go!" yelled Elsa as she struggled back to her feet, but was unable to as her head swam and her eyes blurred every time she did, laying her head she begged "Please stop...stop..",

"You brought this upon one yourself" hissed Sylvia not seeming to care what damage she does. A cry of pain was heard and immediately it was as if Elsa's body was turned to auto pilot.

She threw her hand up, releasing her ice magic, determined to ice the roots so they would shatter, but at that moment, her hand began to burn as the burst of it was so intense that it blanket the area with white before everything went black.

* * *

"Elsa, Elsa, please wake up, be okay, I beg of you" Elsa heard as she slowly came to, her eyes slowly peeked open, at first everything was blurry, but after a while everything became clear and she realized she was looking at Hans.

"Sylvia!" she yelled as she sat up and looked around wildly to find herself back in the guest room she slept in.

"She is under arrest" she heard, but Hans was not the one who spoke it.

Looking she saw Agathe standing at the doorway, she looked serious as she walked over and said "She will be charged with the crime she committed",

"Crime?" asked Elsa softly,

"I am sure Hans told you the rules we must follow, she broke one of them by attacking you, an innocent" said Agathe,

"Regardless, she won't bother you anymore" said Hans after a while,

"You won't be to hard on her?" asked Elsa softly,

"Why? She could have killed you" said Hans,

"But surely she did not mean to, she was worried" said Elsa as she knew Sylvia being a close friend of Hans she was only trying to protect him,

"You want us to show mercy when she would have killed you" said Agathe as she turned and said "Maybe Hans was right about you" with that she left.

Confused Elsa turned and asked Hans "What does she mean?", with a small smile he replied "That your a good person, I always said that".

 _ **To be continue...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Seems Elsa has gained some friends on the Fateweavers group. Either way what was that? That sudden burst of power? Iwould say, but that's a huge spoiler... Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter,**_ _ **please stay tuned for the next chapter and please leave a review to tell me what you think of this one.**_


	27. Chapter 27

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter so please sit back, relax, enjoy a good read and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

This...this was not supposed to happen.

It was the though which ran through the Fateweavers mind over and over as they stared at the destruction in the training room.

The room was broken and cracked, there was solid thick ice which covered the entire room, roots were ice, cracked, scattered around or turned to ashes based on a pile they found. Pure destruction and it was scary for a single reason. Sylvias magic, all of their magic, was strong, so strong that it would not have been broken by Elsas magic and Hans, his magic is supposed to be weak against theirs as they had made it that way.

"This is not good" muttered Merlin "Seems we will need to strengthen the rune",

"No, if we do it any more we might end up hurting Hans" said Marius worried and not wanting to do it,

"What do you suggest we do?" said Agathe worried, she was not his mother, but she cared and did not want to do him harm yet she had to put her job as her top priority.

"Listen, I know you will not like it, but maybe Hans being with Elsa is not a bad thing" said Rohan softly, he was sad about his fated wife attacking his friend and his life "In fact, we should not have done this" he added as he could not deny that this overprotection and extreme measures had gone too far the moment that they burned that rune of restraint on Hans.

* * *

 _"Leave me alone! Your just like my brothers!" cried out a 8 year old Hans as he shook and shivered._

 _"Hans, your 8 years old, your too old to be throwing such temper tantrums" said Agathe as she and the other fateweavers cornered Hans in the training room._

 _"I don't want to! I don't want to do this ceremony" said Hans pressing his back against the wall._

 _"Come on, it does not hurt and after that you will have a party" said Sylvia trying to coax him to agree "Wouldn't you like that?",_

 _"No!" Yelled Hans stubornly, he smelled a rat, they were hidding something and he was sure this ceremony was more than their letting on. They were doing a good job at hidding it, but not good enough._

 _"Hans, we are your elders, we know whats good for you" said Rohan trying to reason with him,_

 _"No! I don't want to! You cannot make me!" yelled Hans,_

 _"Hans the ceremony will be done! No ifs or buts!" ordered Agathe,_

 _"NO!" Screamed Hans, when he did there was smoke, looking at his hands Hans panicked as he saw the gloves, the ones that Agathe told him that would help him were burned through._

 _"Agathe" said Hans scared, this made it worse as his flame magic acted up consuming his arm._

 _"No no, please, stop" begged Hans in a panic as he rubbed his arms and legs as the flames consumed his form._

 _"Hans clam down, don't panic, it will only make things worse" said Agathe in an effort to calm the child down,_

 _"There is no reasoning, we need to force him" whispered Merlin,_

 _"NO!" Screamed Hans, the flames burst making them jump back._

 _"Hans, stop!" yelled Agathe as she and the group were forced back by the heat of the flames,_

 _"I am trying!" cried Hans but in his state the flames got worse as they acted up on his emotions._

 _"Back away!" yelled Rohan as they all left and sealed the training room, the flames just burst from the childs body in a fiery explosion._

 _Using their combined magic the group sealed the area, but it was not enough as the barrier broke allowing some flames in causing the group to have minor degree burns._

 _"What was that?!" yelled Marius as he composed himself,_

 _"I don't know... never seen anything like this..." said Rohan shocked as he got up._

 _Saying nothing more the group walked into the training room only to be shocked at what they saw._

 _The entire room was burned to black and cracks, the items and such that were there were burned it ashes, even the roof was cracked and opened._

 _A child did this?! They though shocked, never had they seen such raw and destructive power before, especially from somebody so young, not even the other phoenixes were that strong._

 _Walking to where Hans was they found the child face down unconcious, covered in ashes, the gloves and clothes which were enchanted to never be burned off were burned to ashes..._

 _Saying nothing Agathe took off her cloack and used it to cover the child before picking him up and saying "Get the ritual ready... we will put the magical rune on him now... for everybodies own good and his..." then she paused and said "We must never tell him... the less he knows the better"._

 _The group nodded, in their minds this has to be done, the child was dangerous now so they only feared how much more dangerous he would be when he was all grown up._

* * *

There was silence after that, both Marius and Rohan said nothing more, the scream Hans gave out was still inside their heads even to this day. They never wanted this, he was young, too young in their opinion as there has only been 1 other Fateweaver who has been a child while all the other chosen were always picked when adults.

That, the fact that Hans was picked to be the phoenix and worse that they knew what was supposed to be but no longer was his future made them all the more paranoid of him bringing destruction like the other ones before him.

Silence persisted before Agathe asked "What do you have in mind?", Marius and Rohan smiled in relief at this.

* * *

The rain had parted and the sky was clear as Elsa opened the window of her room to take in the cool crisp air, this peace was good after what happened with Sylvia. Looking down at her hands she wondered, what was that burst of power she felt before she passed out?

She sighted before turning to leave the room only to run into Hans on the hallway.

"Do we always have to meet so unexpectedly?" he chuckled,

"No, but seems to be a usual thing" said Elsa as she ran her hand through her hair.

After a while Hans said "You know... I never got to thank you for saving my life back there",

"I would not say that, you said it yourself, if you died you would have been reborn" said Elsa,

"You still went against a Fateweaver to save a life when you did not need to" said Hans so he added with a smile "Let me repay you... How do you feel about dinner?",

"Dinner?" asked Elsa "At this time?",

"Why not? We got to eat at some point" said Hans shrugging "So what do you say? Dinner?... With me?"

Elsa looked she bit her lip as she though then she heard "Of course she would! Your her true love".

Both turned red as Olaf walked over "Right Elsa?",

"No... I mean yes... okay... dinner" said Elsa smiling as she looked down,

"Thats great" said Hans not wanting to look at her directly as tried to hide that he was blushing "I will get dinner ready for tonight",

"Tonight?" said Elsa as she too was red because of Olafs brazen words,

"Great, will pick you up at 8" said Hans as he turned and left,

"Wait what? Hans!" said Elsa but he was gone already somewhere down the hall.

"That went well" said Olaf while Elsa looked unsure.

* * *

7 a clock at night, the large grandfather clock said while Elsa looked at her where there were several dresses thrown on it as she tried to decide between them.

She looked and looked, picking up and dropping dressed before picking up and holding a purple dress up before she sighted and dropped it back down again.

Not one of them seemed to be good enough as she seemed to find faults and shortcomings in each and every one of them in her nervous state. About ten minutes later she heard a soft knock on her bedroom door, looking up she saw it Olaf,

"Elsa? You okay?" asked Olaf as he entered the room ever so cheerfully,

"Of course, why would I not be?" asked Elsa with a small smile.

"Oh" said Olaf as he walked closer, looked over the dressed before asking "Choosing dresses?",

"Yes, but I am having a hard time" said Elsa running her fingers through her hair,

"I can see why, you would look amazing in all" said Olaf,

"Well I cannot wear all of them" said Elsa with a small giggle,

"Thats true" said Olaf before looking over them and pointed at the purple dress she has initially picked up "Why don't you use that one?",

"This one?" asked Elsa,

"Why not?" said Olaf "Pruple is a pretty color".

Taking the dress again she held it so she could look at it, then after a while she smiled and said "Thank you Olaf",

"No problem" said Olaf with that he left giggling with exitment, he loves love and was hoping they had a lovely time.

* * *

The garden was prepared with a table, white cloth and a sumptious meal, placing candles on the candelabras Hans moved them till he felt they were right before lighting them up.

"Perfect" he though pleased wit hthe results before turning to go get Elsa, but it seems that she decided to look for him as the door opened and soon Elsa walked out.

When she did Hans was struck speechless.

She wore a purple dress with a sheer glittery fabric over it, it had a sweetheart neckline and shimery sleeves her hair was done up in ribbons and a dainty tiara. Carefully she walked down the stairs.

Shaking his head Hans extended his hand, taking her own hand and kissing it gently.

"You look beautiful" he said,

"Thank you" said Elsa as he lead her to the table, pulling a chair for her, she sat down before he took his own seat.

Smiling a bit Elsa picked at her salad still feelig shy, though she was not the only one, Hans took a drink, but he did not swallow as it was done to disguse his nervousness.

"So how was your day?" asked Hans hoping to break the ice,

"It was wonderful" said Elsa then added "You have a beautiful home",

"Thank you" said Hans,

"Inspiration from outside sources?" asked Elsa,

"Pardon?" asked Hans,

"For the home, as I looked around I could not help but noticed you have drawn a lot of inspiration from other cultures" said Elsa,

"Yes" said Hans "There are many things and places of beauty out there, so its not hard to find inspiration",

"What about the Southern isles?" asked Elsa making Hans pause, he though before saying "That place has no beauty for me",

"Not even a little?" said Elsa,

"I'd sooner forget it than try and find something there" said Hans,

"But its your home" said Elsa,

"No, I was born there, but it is not my home, it never was as it was more of a prison than anything else" said Hans then shrugged "I don't really have a home per say as I am always traveling around the world, quite frankly my time in Arrendelle has been the longest time I have stayed in a place at once, other than of course the Underground Kingdom and England though I don't spend much time in the Underground kingdom",

"Why?" asked Elsa curious,

"Its hard to explain, but when I spend too much time here I get a weird feeling, like I was being suffocated, a claustrophobia, its like I was stuck in a gilded cage in all honesty" said Hans explaining as best as he could as he was not even sure what or where did the strange feeling came from, it just seemed to surround him whenever he got the Underground kingdom then disappeared when he left,

"Strange, think..." said Elsa paused as she knew it was not right what she was going to say, but did his fellow Fateweavers had anything to do with it? She just got the feeling that they were hiding something.

"That my friends had anything to do with it?" said Hans, Elsa meekly nodded as she hesitated in sharing that knowledge for the fact that she did not wanted to cause trouble between Han and his friends,

"In all honesty I don't know what to think anymore" said Hans before adding "They mean well, but at times they make me feel like I was a pawn in some kind of game",

"But you said so yourself, their your friends and have been like family to you, they would never do something like that" said Elsa reassuring him, though her mind went back to Sylvia who almost killed them,

"Your probably right, but like they say, the pathway to hell is pated with good intentions" said Hans then there was silence as they finished the first course then unto the second course.

"Hans...remember when you told me that you lost control once?" asked Elsa,

"Yes" said Hans knowing where this was going,

"Will you tell me about it?" asked Elsa, sighting Hans rubbed his chin before saying "I was 8 at the time, upset about something, don't exactly remember what, but regardless me being angry, I lost control, when I realized what happened panic set in and it made things worse as my magic reacted to it",

"What happened after that?" asked Elsa softly as she noticed how Hans seemed uncomfortable talking about it,

"I don't remember, I black out, but I do remember the aftermath, the room that I in was completely cremated, the walls and roof were gone, the ground was dark, cracked and sunk in a bit, all that I though was, if that is what I was able to do to a building... what if there were people with me..." said Hans as he shook his head "Since then I made it a task to learn to control my magic...and I did",

"It shows... I admire you for embracing them rather than concealing them" said Elsa,

"Thank you, but I admire you more for your resilience" said Hans.

For a moment there was silence before Hans asked changing the subject "So, when do you think Anna and Kristoff will get married?",

"Probably winter" said Elsa then added "Anna and Kristoff have their hearts set on an icy wedding complete with an ice chapel and a reindeer drawn carriage",

"That's very unique" said Hans with a smile,

"Yes" said Elsa then added "Anna told me it was fate, you told me the same...yet I cannot help but wonder what would have been like if you and I never met",

Hans frowned as he reached and took her hand "You would have been fine Elsa... your a lot stronger than you think you are",

"I am not... I am strong because of you and Anna..." said Elsa tears spilling as memories of the past went through her mind "You both loved me in a time where I did not love myself... you both showed me the light when I saw nothing but darkness..."

Breathing Elsa steadied herself before saying "The council knew this... thats why they wanted you to loose so badly... because the moment you did I would have lost everything... they would have married Anna off and I would have never seen her again... or they would have let her stay with Kristoff but she would have been thrown away with nothing but the clothes on her back... they would have made me into a puppet... an ornament... and I almost let them... if it had not been for you... I would not have come so far..."

"Whether you believe me or not, its not true..." said Hans, Elsa looked confused.

"You were already a strong person Elsa, your a kind person, beloved queen and monarch, even if we never met you would have found this yourself because your resilient and posses a kind of strength of heart and mind that I have only seen a handful of times" said Hans then looked down at his hand covered gloves and said "Not like me",

"What are you talking about Hans? Your the strong one, you always know what to do and remain calm and steadfast whatever the situation" said Elsa confused,

Hans shook his head and said "Though it does not look that way, my own fears, my own past, my own insecurities always got in the way... had I just had the courage to show you the truth then you would have not been hurt... And the truth is... it is me who has to thank you and Anna, you two gave me something more valuable than anything else in the world... for the first time with you two... I finally got to be part of a family, a good family, I saw what a good sibling relationship should be like..." pausing he took a breath before continuing "It may take a while but thanks to you and Anna... especially you I am able to start... and someday I will be able to fully move on from the horrors of my childhood"

They said nothing for a while as the words sunk in. In truth they were happy as this proved, despite their differences they were similar and most of all they needed one another. Each one was a half of the other, a half they could not be without, for they needed one another to be whole.

"Elsa...",

"Yes...",

"I love you..."

Elsa did not answer, she let her actions do the talking, she got up from his chair and walked over, bending down she placed her lips on his in a gentle kiss, Hans was surprised as he though the kiss would never happen as he respected her personal space, regardless he returned the kiss with vigor.

This was Elsa's first kiss, the wait for it was well worth it for both Hans and Elsa as they both felt bliss.

* * *

Standing outside of a prison cell Rohan stood with a box, inside said box had a blanket, a pillow, a meal made out of vegetables and a drink, all which were Sylvia's favorites.

Soon the guards walked in, with a nod they opened the cell for Rohan to visit Sylvia.

The box dropped to the ground as Rohan and the guards stared in shock at the broken chains, roots growing all around and a huge gapping hole on the wall which lead outside.

"SOUND THE ALARM!" yelled the guards as they left, Sylvia was on the loose and worst of all she was easily the most dangerous fugitive out there right now.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Seems that things have gotten more dangerous now, what will happen next?**_ _ **Well you will have to wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next one.**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 **Yubima-chan: ...Maybe...**

 **guest: I would say but it would be a huge spoiler for the story. Just know this... things will get very very complicated.**

 **Dreamsandimaginations: Wish granted lol**

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Knocks, they were loud and rapid, as if a person was trying to hammer a nail into a door or wall. But loudly and getting louder as time went by. Groaning Hans slowly got up and rubbing his face, trying to wake up.

The knocks persisted which told Hans that he was not dreaming, looking at the clock he saw it was very late at night, about 2 in the morning,

"Wonder who is up" though Hans as he got up from bed, careful not to disturb Elsa who was still sleeping. Moving quietly Hans opened his wardrobe, got a coat and walked out of the room, down the stairs and toward the front door. Careful Hans grabbed unto the door before looking though the peephole before opening it to discover it was Rohan.

He was panicking and sweating, white as a sheet, he seemed to be relieved to see Hans,

"Hans thank God!" he said as he could not hold back so he reached and hugged Hans,

"Wow, easy now" said Hans as he chocked a bit from how tightly he was held,

"Sorry, I was worried" said Rohan letting go,

"Worried about what?" asked Hans coughing a bit,

"Its Sylvia" said Rohan in a panic "She escaped",

"She escaped?! How!?" asked Hans,

"I don't know, but what I do now is that Sylvia is out here somewhere" said Rohan "There is a search party for her",

"Okay, just give me a sec and I will-",

"No, your not going" said Rohan stopping Hans,

"Why not?!" demanded Hans,

"Sylvia is after you and Elsa, if you go then it will make things easier for her" said Rohan,

"But",

"No buts, your better off here with Elsa than trying to help us, so please stay here and stay safe" said Rohan, Hans stared saying nothing as Rohan back away and said "We will let you know when Sylvia is captured" with that he left.

* * *

Eyes slowly peeked open as Elsa looked around the room, still tired, but was awake when she found Hans was not in bed. Soon she heard footsteps, closing her eyes Elsa pretended to be asleep as Hans walked back to the room.

Peeking her eyes open every now and then she saw Hans open the wardrobe and quietly getting dressed, his clothes were gray and black as if to hide in the shadows, then slipping on the boots he pulled the hood over his head before quietly leaving the room.

Opening her eyes Elsa got up, "Where is he going?" she wondered before getting out of bed, sneaking into her room, changing out of her night shirt for proper warm clothes and leaving to follow Hans to wherever he was going.

* * *

As soon as Sylvia's escape was heard search parties were gathered quickly to find and bring her back to face justice. As people searched, they whispered, they were all scared, with the bad weather, darkness and the danger of finding Sylvia and possibly getting killed by her as she was compared to another Fateweaver an evil one.

Also they were all whispering, something about an evil fateweaver which they seem to blame for whats going on.

Making sure he was not spotted Hans held up a lantern with a weak light, it was enough for him to see, but not be spotted from afar. What he found troubled him, the forest looked darker, more foreboding than before, something dark was slowly wrapped the trees, tainting them.

"Sylvia why are you doing this?" though Hans as he walked, following his inner compass, but it seemed to lead him in circles as if Sylvia was doing everything in power not to be found.

Then all of a sudden he heard a twig snapping, reacting Hans hid, taking his glove off, once off the whites of his eyes turned black while his irises turned red as he looked around, trying see and find out who or what it was and he did rather quickly.

"Why did she follow me?" Hans growled mentally as he put his gloves back on before walking over to where Elsa was.

"El-" he found the wind knocked out of him as apparently Elsa not being sure if it was him who she heard she hid and attacked by hitting him with a club like branch when he passed.

"I am sorry" said Elsa wincing as Hans lay there gagging and gasping for air before getting up and saying "Elsa why did you follow me?",

"I saw you leaving and figured that if you left at this hour then it was important so I wanted to go and see if I can help you" said Elsa helping him up.

Hans sighted, it really touched him that Elsa wanted to help him. But at the same time he was worried, the situation was dangerous, if she had a bit more experience with her magic or any form of attack, but at this point she did not and it would get her hurt.

"Elsa, you have to go back" said Hans sighting,

"Before you continue, I have to let you know that your not changing my mind" said Elsa as she crossed her arms "I can take care of myself",

"I know you can, but you know that Sylvia is dangerous and what's worse with the shadow demons around this situation can get deadly fast" said Hans,

"I will make due" said Elsa "I want to help",

"When did you get so stubborn?" asked Hans crossing his arms,

"When you came into my life" replied Elsa.

Hans opened his mouth to say something else when they heard somebody call out "Hey guys" when they heard that they grew tense.

"You brought Olaf?!" said Hans with a slight panic, Olaf was very innocent and because of that he did not want him having a run in with the shadow demon or a very dangerous Sylvia.

Luckily it seems that Olaf has not had any run ins as he walked over all happy and chipper.

"Hello? I see you two are on a romantic night walk... not really my choice but whatever makes you happy" Olaf said oblivious to the situation,

"No Olaf, were not on a romantic walk" said Elsa,

"Oh, then what are you two doing?" asked Olaf,

"We are... looking for something" said Hans trying to find a good way to tell the snowman while not scarring him,

"What something?" asked Olaf curious,

"Its a surprise" said Elsa quickly,

"Oh...can I help?" asked Olaf, Elsa and Hans were going to say no, but decided not to so Hans said "Okay, but stay close",

"Alright" said Olaf before they continued their way, looking, all the while Hans begged not to find Sylvia as he did not want Olaf and Elsa being hurt because of female fateweaver.

* * *

"Rohan, Rohan" called Marius softly as he looked around with a lantern, he and Rohan had been working together but seems they got separated without either of them noticing, now he was left alone and even scared as Sylvia could easily beat him whenever she wanted.

"Rohan, please tell me your around here because I am very scared now" whispered Marius

"Here!" He heard making him jump in fright and look around wildly, the trees were still, too still as there was no wind,

"Rohan" called Marius, praying and begging that he heard right,

"Come here!" Marius heard again, it sounded like Rohan so it was Rohan.

"Hold on!" yelled Marius as he ran following the voice, he would call now and then, Rohan would answer, heading him deeper and deeper into the dark forest. Juming over a tree which had fallen Marius yelled as he tripped and he fell face first into mud, gagging he yelled and got up, there was mud everywhere.

"Rohan if your playing games with me! Its not funny!" muttered Marius as he had ruined his best boots when he felt a shadow looking up his eyes widen.

* * *

Holding a lantern Hans, Elsa and Olaf walked through a forest looking for Sylvia.

"Hans... who is Maleficent?" asked Elsa as on the way back she had heard some people say how Sylvia was now like Maleficent, this made Hans stop and say "You do not want to say that name out loud... its bad luck".

Elsa frowned in confusion, "Rules are always made for a reason, she was a that reason" said Hans "She was a fateweaver once, evil, abused her power" placing his hand on his neck subconsciously, where he once wore his necklace where the soulstone was kept "After her defeat measure were taken so no other fateweaver would ever abuse their power again".

"How bad was she?" asked Elsa,

"Yes, surely she is not that bad" said Olaf,

"She is known as the misstress of evil" said Hans, Elsa said nothing more as that answered her question while Olaf said "Oh".

Turning so he was facing Elsa Hans pulled her hood and checked to make sure she was kept dry and assured her "Don't worry, she is dead and will not come back, whatever happens I will keep you safe no matter what" then pressed his lips against her forehead before pulling away and saying "Come on, lets continue our search".

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Marius voice was heard through the entire forest.

"Marius" though Hans as he turned grabbed Elsas arm and began to run, dragging her.

After a while they ran into Rohan, "Did you hear that?" He demanded,

"Yes" said Hans as he looked around then pointed "That way!", running the group arrived to a tree, said tree had picked Marius up, he screamed as the tree branches and vines tightened around him, threatening to break him,

"Marius!" yelled Hans as he acted quick and threw flames at the branches, once broken Marius fell but was caught by Rohan,

"Thanks" said Marius,

"No time" said Rohan helping him get free before they tried to escape but before they could move Hans yelled as another tree came to life and grabbed him.

"Hans!" yelled Rohan as he quickly took out an ax and chopped the branch freeing Hans and soon all around the trees began to come to life to attack them.

Reacting Elsa shot ice to a tree freezing it.

"This is not good" said Hans "we need to- Rohan!"

He yelled the last one when Rohan began to try and force himself through.

"Rohan stop! Thats what it wants!" yelled Hans as he try to restrain the man.

"No! I have to talk to her! I can reason with her!" yelled Rohan trying to free himself,

"Are you crazy!? That woman is beyond reasoning now!" said Marius trying to help, but that did nothing as Rohan tried to free himself to continue his search.

Giving up Hans sighted before saying "I am sorry" before taking out a needle of sorts before injecting it on Rohan, who yelped before passing out.

Turning Hans said "Elsa can you make something big? Something to help us get out of here?", Elsa though before throwing ice to the floor which soon grew huge.

* * *

Trees of the forest flew aside as a massive figure of snow and ice lumbered out.

"Thank you Marshmallow" said Elsa to her creation, it was huge and scary but deep inside he was sweet.

"Yes" said Hans as Marshmallow put Rohan down who regained consciousness and was not happy.

"Rohan-" began Hans but yelled when Rohan threw a punch hitting his nose,

"Rohan!" yelled Marius shocked as he and Elsa helped Hans back up.

"That was not nice!" scolded Olaf, but Rohan could care less in his anger,

"How could you?! I though you were my friend?!" Rohan yelled angry that Hans stopped him from finding Sylvia,

"I had to!" yelled Hans getting up and holding his injured nose "That was what Sylvia wanted, she wanted you to continue your search so she can trap you!",

"What were we supposed to do!? Stay and do nothing?!" yelled Rohan,

"No! But we have to be smart! She has the advantage now! She knows that and wanted to use that against us! We will find her! But not now and not like this!" yelled Hans.

There was silence then Rohan sighted and said "Sorry I...",

"Its fine... don't worry... we will help you find her... but we have to be smart" said Hans, nodding Rohan turned and left.

"Hans..." said Elsa as she walked over and placed a handkerchief to clean the bleeding.

Nodding Hans touched his nose and forced it in place before healing it before they began to walk away, time to call off the search as this situation had gotten far too dangerous for anybody...

* * *

The next morning, Sylvia was yet to be found, per safety the forest were quarantined, nobody goes in or out. But that was not enough, so extra precautions were by the Fateweavers, especially on Elsa and Hans, whom Sylvia was targeting. One of the precautions was only for Elsa.

Training, it rang through Elsas mind over and over as she followed Agathe down some stairs and into a room, this one was unusual, it was small, a bit in beige in color, the floor was a smooth stone, but other than that there was nothing else.

Walking over Agathe set up a cushion, blanket and pillow on the ground before getting up and said "You will be staying here for the time being",

"What's here?" asked Elsa curious,

"This room is special, as long as your inside this room no time will pass outside" explained Agathe,

"So I can stay here for a week and when I leave this room no time has passed?" asked Elsa, Agathe response was nodding then added "Usually we would not, but because of the circumstances me and the other Fateweavers decided to train you in our ways, to make you strong so that if by chance you run into Sylvia you will be able to fight back and protect yourself",

"Your going to train me?" asked Elsa,

"All of us Elsa, not just me, you will need all the help you can get" said Agathe then paused before adding "There is only one thing we ask of you",

"What is it?" asked Elsa,

"Don't make us regret showing you all of our ways and secrets" said Agathe,

"You won't" promised Elsa,

"Good...be prepared... the coming weeks will be brutal" said Agathe with that she got up and left. As she did the door opened again and in walked Rohan, he looked and smiled with a greeting "Hello Queen Elsa",

"Elsa please" said Elsa then added "How are you?",

"Okay, within reason" said Rohan softly as he walked over to her reaching to his pockets before taking out a box and opening it, taking the contents which were chocolate he popped one into his mouth, chewing and swallowing before saying "Want some?" as he offered the box,

"Thank you" said Elsa as she reached and took one, eating it she savored the flavor, it was chocolate, had nuts and was very smoothed, melted in her mouth,

"Your welcome" said Rohan taking another chocolate and eating it, after a while Elsa said "I am sorry...about what happened...",

"Its okay, its not your fault" said Rohan then sighted "Sylvia was always a bit too controlling for her own good, I always though she loved her job as Fateweaver more than me",

"I am sure she loves you" said Elsa,

"No...not when I compare it to you and Hans" said Rohan as he though before saying "He loves you and I can see that you love him too... when he pushed you out of the way then you tried to save him even if you knew you were no match... it made me wonder if she would do the same for me...".

Elsa walked over and gave Rohan a hug, she was not used to or comfortable doing these things, but was willing to do it because the poor guy looked like he needed a hug.

Wrapping his arms around Elsa, gently as Hans had told him about how she liked her personal space Rohan said "Thank you",

"No problem" said Elsa then added "Since your a friend of Hans and you will be one of my trainers, maybe we can get to know each other better and be friends?",

"It would be an honor to have you as a friend my lady" said Rohan,

"I hope your not flirting with my lady" they heard, looking they saw it was Hans leaning against the door,

"Awww are you jealous of Rohan?" teased Elsa as she walked over hugging him gently before playfully pressing her finger on the tip of his nose gently,

"Me? No no, not the jealous type" said Hans with a small chuckle at that,

"Don't worry, I would never dream of doing anything like that" said Rohan with a smile, this worked as a much needed distraction,

"Its okay, don't worry about it" said Hans before he and Elsa parted "I just wanted to tell Elsa that I would visit as much as possible",

"Thank you" said Elsa,

"Yes, I fear you will grow spoiled here" chuckled Rohan,

"Well somebody here owes me a little spoiling" said Elsa as she playfully pointed at Hans,

"Oh that hurts" said Hans as a joke, holding his hands on his chest making them laugh. Maybe it was necessary, having a good laugh was definitely a good distraction.

* * *

Arms ached, legs hurt, but Elsa forced herself to push through the regimen she had been given. It pushed her limits emotionally, physically, mentally and magically. To them magic was connected to those as well, if one was affected then all of them were.

Non of the Fateweavers let loose, non took it easy on her, but she was grateful for it, she would have never been made aware of what she could do, what she was capable off, it was amazing, not just the feeling of magic, but physically, she felt stronger, it was as if she could conquer anything. But of course she was smarter than to think that she was invincible.

"Queen Elsa" she heard, turning Elsa saw it was Marius,

"Its Elsa Marius" said Elsa as she reached to hug him, she found that her interactions have become more open, she was not so hesitant when it came to hugging or showing affections as she was before, which she is sure that Anna will love when she got back home.

"Was wondering if me and Marius could hang out before Hans hogs you to himself" said Marius,

"Of course" said Elsa with a small smile,

"Great! Come on!" said Marius as he linked his arm with hers and they left,

"You should come to Arendelle at some time, Anna would love having you around" said Elsa,

"Great! The more friends the merrier!" said Marius as they left and meet up with Rohan, together the three left to have a wonderful time.

* * *

Quiet, that was all that Hans heard as he and Agathe sat down in the indoor garden, specifically in his favorite place in the garden, it was a Babylon weeping willow, a huge tree, it's branches thick and numerous, reaching down to the ground making a curtain, he loves to be there, to lay on the ground next to it's trunk and stare up, admire the sunlight through the branches as it created a dazzling light show whenever the wind blew by.

"Hans, Hans" he heard,

"Yes Agathe?" asked Hans getting up to a sitting position only for Agathe to stuff something into his mouth with a "Taste this".

He winced a bit as a sour taste invaded his mouth.

"Too sour" said Hans as he felt his whole face pucker up at how sour it was.

"I know" said Agathe with a playful grin "I like sour myself" as she ate another lemon tart, she sat on a blanket with a nice spread of deserts which were mostly French confections, bread, jam and such.

Swallowing Hans shivered as he did not have a fondness for sour or dry things, he did like a bit of spice, sweetness, bitter and salty flavors.

"Don't look at me like that, you know I always do things for your own good" said Agathe when Hans gave her a displeased look,

"Yes but I would like a warning every now and then" said Hans as he grabbed a sandwich off of a plate and ate it to take the sour taste out of his mouth. Snickering Agathe took a saucer cup full of tea and took a sip from it before placing the cup down and asking "So when are you and Elsa making the vow?" making Hans choke a bit on his sandwhich then stare at her shocked,

"What?" asked Agathe,

"I don't know... you just seemed not to want us together and now you do" said Hans confused,

"Hans, you are not my son, but I see you as one and..." she paused before taking a breath and saying "All I want for you is for you to be safe and happy, we all want that and if being with Elsa makes you happy, I will not oppose to it",

"Really?",

"Yes, I admit that me and the others have been rather unfair, overprotective and maybe even a bit controlling" said Agathe,

"A bit?" asked Hans crossing his arms,

"Okay, very controlling" said Agathe "It just that we have not realized your not the same 5 year old who had no idea what to do or who to trust... but you have grown and you have shown that you are more than capable of making good decisions on your own and for that I trust your judgement and if you say Elsa is good, then I will trust you...".

Hans listened and smiled a little, he was more than happy to hear this, reaching he hugged Agathe and said "Thank you", Agathe smiled but it was muted as she could not help but feel guilt as they did.

* * *

The day was very enjoyable, Marius and Rohan took Elsa to a museum of art, the oldest library in the kingdom, it was built almost like a palace and was beautiful with the old arquitectural designs and stain glass windows and designs filling inside with colors, towards the end of the day they sat down on a restaurant to eat.

It was a beautiful patio restaurant, it was a brick building with ivy and wisterias draped around the building, taking a seat they ordered before Marius asked "SO...when are you and Hans planning to do the vow?", hearing that made Rohan choke on his drink,

"What?" asked Elsa confused,

"Hans did not tell you?" asked Marius then added "Its how we get married here",

"No, he did not tell me...I mean...we...we just kissed" said Elsa turning a bit red when he said that,

"Well then lucky you I will tell you" said Marius chipper "Like I said, its how we get married, its the equivalent of what you do outside, but stronger, it literally binds you to the person forever as you two literally give a part of one another to each other",

"How does that work?" asked Elsa confused,

"Its easy, you two say a vow, a promise to one another, then once done you seal it in bed" said Marius,

"By bed...you mean..." said Elsa turning,

"You two-" Rohan stuffed a bread in Marius mouth making him choke on it, but there was no need as Elsa knew what Marius was going to say,

"I apologize for that my lady, Marius does not know when to keep quiet" said Rohan as Marius managed to swallow the bread then glared at Rohan for that,

"Its okay" said Elsa still flustered and red, but was worried as Rohan seemed sad about it,

"Any way, lets just enjoy lunch" said Rohan to change subject, Elsa nodded, the rest of the time was quiet. She was sad for Rohan as she was sure that what happened with Sylvia was affecting him.

After lunch finished they left and brought her back to Hans home, saying good bye they each went their way as Elsa had to pack as she had to go back to Arendelle tomorrow.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and that you stay tuned for the next chapter as we will go back to Arendelle and see what the council and Lars conspired to do. But for now I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review to tell me what you think.**_


	29. Chapter 29

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **guest: ... maybe...**_

 _ **Guest: Hate to disappoint you but no. But it may or may not happen soon.**_

 _ **Dreamdandimaginations: Lol what's not to love about Marius and Rohan? Marius is like a lovable yet annoying little brother and Rohan is just a huge teddy bear.**_

 _ **Yubima-chan: Wish granted..**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Arendelle, how Elsa missed it, sure she loved her time in the Underground kingdom, but she loves her home even more. Turning Elsa put on a dress, moving it gently, it was baggy on her making her look a bit bigger, but it was what she wanted as she had to keep her cards close to her now more than ever as she was starting to suspect that the council was scheming.

It was not a matter of if, but when and Elsa wanted to use the element of surprise should they try anything.

With that Elsa left as she was hoping to talk to Anna and see how things went while she was away from Arendelle, "Hopefully I will not find she turned Arendelle upside down while I was gone" Elsa though with a light giggle as she made her way to her office only to bump into Hans.

"We got to stop doing this" said Elsa,

"Took the words out of my mouth" said Hans greeting her with a kiss on the forehead before asking "How was your day?",

"Its been pleasant, so far you have been right about trusting Anna with ruling Arendelle while I was gone since I have not found it in shambles" said Elsa,

"Awww don't be too mean to her" said Hans then added "Surely she is-", Hans stopped when he noticed Anna walking over and she did not look okay.

She was pale, thin, her eyes sunken in because of the lack of sleep, her eyes lost their shine, it made Hans worry as he knew she would be a bit tired, but this, its as if she aged over night and it seems that Elsa noticed as she gave this look as she watched her sister.

"I need to talk to my sister" said Anna stopping before them then glared at Hans making him raise an eyebrow in confusion "Alone",

"Of course" said Hans nodding before turning and leaving.

Elsa was even more confused over Anna actions, but before she could say anything Anna ran over, hugged her close and sobbed "You have to get away from Hans".

* * *

Eavesdropping was something Hans had not done since he was a child trying to listen in to what the other Fateweavers said when he was not allowed to go into their meeting, not that he was successful at it as Agathe always caught him and scolded him about it.

"You have to get away from Hans!" he heard making him stop dead in his tracks, turning around he walked closer to the door which he closed after leaving Anna and Elsa along and listened in, hoping he had heard wrong.

"Anna, I don't understand" said Elsa, her voice laced with shock and confusion and she was not the only one, Hans was shocked, Anna had been the very last person he would have ever though of hearing this as she had always been a good friend and encouraged the relationship between him and Elsa. So why was she doing this now?!

"Elsa, he is no good" said Anna in a panicked voice "What if he hurts you!? Or if he is using you?! He lied once! What's stopping him from lying again?!",

"Anna, I don't understand where this is coming from, you always wanted to see me and him together" said Elsa,

"It was a mistake!" said Anna pleading,

"Why? What made you change your mind all of a sudden?" asked Elsa confused,

"I...I..." began Anna, hesitating, she stammered more words before "You just have to trust me Elsa...don't marry him, break the engagement",

"Anna, I... I will think about it" said Elsa hesitating, hearing foot steps Hans quickly hid behind a tapestry, the door opened and Elsa walked out upset, soon Anna followed just as upset, but at the moment Hans did not care as he was hurt by Anna's betrayal.

As Anna walked Hans acted quick, he got out of the tapestry, grabbed her arm and dragged her back into the room as he wanted to have a word with her.

* * *

"Get in there!" hissed Hans as he dragged Anna into a room. Closing and locking the door behind him Hans turned to face Anna, his hands trembled as he tried to hold in the hurt and betrayal he felt from her doing this. He trusted her! He kept his promise and yet she dared to stab him in the back?!

"What is going on with you suddenly?",

"I should be the one asking you!" Anna snapped at him "Your the one who has been lying since the begining!",

"Haven't I proven my loyalty to Arendelle and your sister enough?" yelled Hans at her "I though you approved of my relationship with Elsa?!",

"Things change!" snapped Anna as she removed the soulstone necklace from her neck and handed it to Hans "Just take this and go! Go home where you belong and never bother us again!". Hans' eyes narrowed.

Something was very odd here. He knew Anna, if she truly saw him as a bad omen to Elsa, she could have destroyed the soulstone without hesitation. So why was Anna simply giving it back? The prince took off his glove before accepting the stone from Anna and his eyes glazed over as if he was in some kind of trance. The stone harnessed emotions from the wearer - and as he went throughout the various colors, the prince could feel utter fear radiating from it.

"Hans?" asked Anna when the prince's eyes kept their glassy look for quite a long time.

"Hans?",

Hans snapped out of the trance and glanced to the princess "Tell me the truth",

"The truth?",

"Anna, I can feel your emotions emitting from this stone. You are afraid for Kristoff. Why? What has happened? Tell me what's really going on" said Hans, his voice taking on a begging tone to it,

Looking away Anna said "Hans, you are imagining things really. Everything is fine with Kristoff!",

"I can see you are lying. Anna please. Kristoff is my friend as well, I need to know." pleaded Hans as he took her hand and held it, Anna's face began to crack before she burst into tears. "The council has kristoff!" blurted Anna, Hans eyes widened as he said "What?!",

"The council... they told me that if I did not convince Elsa to stop your marriage they would kill him. Hans, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to" sobbed the princess as she sagged to the ground. "I didn't want to-",

"I know, Anna. I know. Where is the council?" said Hans as he helped her up to her feet,

"Hu?" brought Anna out through her sobs.

"Where is the council?" demanded Hans with fury in his eyes.

"I... I don't-" began Anna, but Hans already rushed out of the room.

"Hans!" called Anna as she ran after him. "Hans, wait!"

Hans let his internal compass guide him to where he needed to go and moved with quick steps. He needed to be sure that Kristoff was okay first before facing the council.

Soon it lead him to the dungeons built inderneath the Arendelle castle. Currently one cell seemed to be occupied by two guards. Before they could react however Hans tirned to smoke and suffocated the two just enough to knock them out. They were innocent as they were only following orders yet were unaware of the reasons behind them.

If word spread that Kristoff escaped under their watch, they would get the blame and Hans didn't this upon them. Turning back to solid form Hans bend down and got the keys, opening the cell , who ran towards the cell when Hans had given the all-clear, cried at what she 's body was painted in dark colored bruises.

The cuts on his arms were covered with dried blood, one of his eyes was swollen and, noticed the prince in horror, one of his arms was twisted very unnaturally. As Hans hurried to his side, he could hear the man's irregular and shallow breathing - not a good sign. "Anna help me" ordered Hans as he removed his gloves to heal kristoff, but not too much as he wanted to put the bones in the right place first.

"Kristoff? Can you hear me?",

"Uh... wha" groaned Kristoff as he slowly gained consciousness.

"You are going to be alright" said Hans as he put his gloves back on again "We are going to get you out of here" as he pulled Kristoff up in bridal style.

Once out they walked through the halls however being stopped by the entire council blocking their way to Anna's chambers with swords in their duke smirked and walked over, looking ever so proud of himself.

"So, she did not do as we said, what a disappointment..." shook the duke his head.

"Why? Your beef is with me, not Anna" snarled Hans.

"She is the only one who's trusted enough by both you and the queen. Sadly you left us with no choice as your meddling has wear off our last nerve",

Narrowing his eyes Hans said "Anna, I need you to take Kristoff and get out of here",

"But Hans-",

"Do as I say" snapped Hans at her before reigning himself in to continue on a softer note "This will not look pretty"

Anna swallowed but took Kristoff over from him and slowly shuffled away with Kristoff on her arm, leaving Hans behind to face the Duke and his goons.

Once Hans was sure they were out of harm's way he turned his attention to the council."What are you going to do to us? You are but one man." said one of them as he pointed to the defenseless prince."One man I may be, sure. But I'm more than that. You see, the firebird is too often associated with life, ressurection and hope..." said Hans while letting his gloves turn to ash, "but they often overlook the part that it also stands as destruction and death for those irredeemable. And you all have crossed that line."

When the last bits of his gloves had burned off, the prince felt his self made chains fall off and let his power course freely through his council shifted uncomfortably as they felt the room grow hotter - many began to sweat and tug at their cravats as the temperature rose.

"I had enough of this!" yelled the duke red-faced from the heat. "Just kill him!"

The council members ran over, one went to restrain Hans and the other thrusted a dagger deep inside of his gasped when he felt the blade penetrate inside his body and he sunk to the ground as his trembling fingers tried to grasp them. Thinking that they had won, the men cheered only to stiffen when the temperature in the room rose to extreme heights.

The man who held Hans screamed when he felt the prince's skin burn his own hands and let go to find water to cool his burns. The council member who had stabbed the prince, backed away when he saw the prince's eyes lit up like hellfire."I.. you can't... I... we..." stammered the man as Hans stood up as if nothing had happened and advanced on ! the man was thrown with inhuman strength against the wall - the shock was so great his head began to bleed and the man passed out from the pain.

Hans' firey eyes turned their attention to the ashen looking council members. Hans reached for the dagger in his chest and tugged at it several times to get it free. At long last, he managed to get the dagger out, which immediately melted into a metal liquid that dripped from his hand upon the floor."You... you... your a demon!" yelled The duke in terror as Hans dropped the now useless weapon. "Stay back"The duke's orders fell on deaf ears as Hans kept advancing on them, and the survival instinct of the council members kicked in - while some began to flee, others were simply frozen or began to put on a fight.

As if he were merely taking a stroll, the prince caught the swinging blade of the first council man with his bare hand, which immediately melted under his grip. With his other free hand, the prince took hold of the man's collar and threw him upon his incoming collegues. However not all of them were hit and a very brave, or rather, very foolish man stormed towards the prince whom simply twisted his raised arm into an unnatural angle. The man screamed when the bone popped out of its original state however was silenced when Hans gave him a harsh blow on the head.

Glancing arround, the prince's eyes settled on a group councilmembers who neither fled nor fought him. For a moment, the prince's black-red eyes smoldered - he could see that they were innocent: They didn't approve of the duke's methods, yet lacked the courage to stand up to him. "Get. Out." breathed Hans with the greatest difficulty as he pointed to the burning inferno that was once their way out. At his command, the fire lowered just enough to grant safe passage and the men quickly did as they were told. Hans's body trembled - not from fear, but from such an untamed raw anger that he kept at bay for just a few more seconds.

He felt his control slip more and more by each second thanks to the tainted souls he could feel. With his gloves on, he could block this sight away, but he had been so impulsive to burn them instead of putting them away. Now, he saw just how sick they truly were.. "Sir, behind you!" cried one of the spared council members out when he saw one of his collegues try to stab Hans from behind.

"Oh god!" The man covered his mouth when he saw the sword make its bloody path the prince's stared down at the sword, feeling the pain and his blood dripping down his clothing.

"Who did this?" Slowly the prince turned around to see the council member staring dumbfounded to his not so mortally wounded opponent.

"Ah." The prince recognized the man immediately. "You."

* * *

"Why would she say that?" Elsa asked herself over and over trying to figure out her sisters sudden change of heart. The more she though the less it made sense as Anna had no reason for her actions, at least none that Elsa knows.

"Unless Hans is lying to me again and did something behind my back" though Elsa, as much as she did not want to believe that in the end she would always trust her sister over a man no matter what.

"Elsa! Elsa!" recognizing it as her sisters voice Elsa turned and her eyes widen at her sister who was covered in blood, grabbing Elsa Anna said "You have to stop him! Your the only one who can get through to him!",

"Wait, whats going on?!" said Elsa wondering what is going on and even if her sister was okay mentally,

"Its Hans! I am so sorry! The council forced me to lie! They wanted me to separate you and Hans or else they would have hurt Kristoff!" Anna blurted out "I know your mad! But you can be mad later! Because right now Hans is-" Annas voice trailed off as she smelled smoke, Elsa smelled it too.

Looking around the two grew pale as they noticed some coming up from one of the rooms in the castle.

"Call the guards!" ordered Elsa as she ran to the castle, praying nothing bad had happened.

* * *

Eyes became as dark as coal as Hans looked at the councilman's very soul, that girl, he had mutilated her! Hans bared his teeth and fire erupted from his hands, so quick and so hot that the man barely could scream before turning to ashes.

The fire raced further on the floor and the tapestry and soon the whole room was aflame."I am getting out of here" yelled the Duke in terror for the fate of his fellow ' head snapped towards the sound and his eyes narrowed upon seeing the fleeing man.

The duke screamed in fear when his passageway was suddenly blocked by a huge wall of fire. Desperate, the man sought for another way out as Hans advanced towards him - there was the window, but that was a huge drop down without anything soft to land on. "No, no wait! Don't kill me!" begged the duke when Hans hoisted him up without any effort.

Hans' face stayed emotionless under his pleas, his eyes as dark as before. However, the fire arround him stopped flickering. "Why?" breathed the prince duke recoiled from Hans' face as it was too warm to look directly at.

"I'll do as you ask! I will leave you and the firebird alone! We can work together! Yes yes!" rambled the duke on in the hopes of appealing to Hans.

"If we work together we can rule Arendelle, no no, not just Arendelle! Spain! England! Everywhere! We will succeed in where Alexander the great failed!",

"The phoenix, The Firebird and me are one and the same, blind man." said Hans calmly. "And blind you shall truly be." his burning free hand touched upon the duke's eyeballs and soon the sizzling smell of burned flesh and agonizing screams filled the whole room.

Hans let the duke harshly go - the pain of his burned eyes however was so great the duke barely noticed any other pains from hitting the ' eyes turned to the last councilman who was in the corner and cowarding in fear. He hadn't been with his fellow collegues who had been spared - unlike them he froze and was unable flee in order to safe his life. "No sire, please, Spare me! I was forced, they made me do it!" begged the last remaining councilman.

But Hans had become deaf for his pleas, so overcome by his anger.

"HANS! STOP!" A voice pierced, but Hans didn't listen - already there was a fireball in his hand, ready to throw it.

"I said STOP!"

The prince's fireball, as well as his aflame body, vanished when the whole room coated itself in frost. Hans' eyes snapped to the horrified Snow Queen Elsa in the doorway.

"Stay out of my way, Snow Queen. Don't come between the phoenix and the condemned." warned Hans as the frost melted away from him as if it were nothing.

"No! You have to stop! You cannot do this!",

"I can and I will. I don't need your approval.",

"No! Please stop! This is not you!" shouted Elsa desperately trying to get Hans to come to his senses.

"Oh... But this is me, Snow Queen. Now you see all what I am. These... little people have been kept unchecked for far too long and I realized, I've been far too merciful for all those years." said Hans as he darkly glared to the cowering man in front of him. "They will answer to ME."

The prince turned his black eyes towards the queen. "If you can't live with that, go away. Or stay, and face the same consequences as him.",

"Alright then." spoke Elsa as she marched towards him, placing his hand on her chest. "Do it".

""What... Snow Queen" Something flickered behind Hans' eyes.

"I'm one of the little people too, am I not?" asked Elsa indifferently.

"No. You're... you're not. You are my queen." Hans' hand began to cup her cheek.

"And those are my people." went Elsa on. "Hans..." breathed the queen as she cupped his cheek as well. "Hans, please..."

Slowly, Hans' eyes regained their original, green color. "Elsa." shuddered Hans, feeling weak from the removal of adrenaline and anger.

"I'm here. I'm here." hushed the queen as she kept hugging him. "I'm not letting you go."

Hans however, now saw what he had ravished: the whole room was in ashes - and on one of the walls, a humanoid ashen figure was still visible. As the prince watched on he saw the duke whimpering and covering his face in agony, while the other two council members wept for the burns he had ... he had completely lost himself in his rage. Hans swayed, feeling utterly sick at himself. He had lost control. He.. he had nearly killed an innocent.

"Hans its okay... everything is going to be alright" said Elsa softly as she reached to take his hand. But Hans pulled his hand away before she could take it.

"No. Everything is not alright... I.. I could have killed him. Killed you.",

"Hans..." began Elsa but could not say anymore as Hans immediately took off.

"Hans wait! Stop!" yelled Elsa as she ran after him.

 ** _To be continued..._**

* * *

 _ **Authors note: I would love to thank Dreamsandimaginations for the scene with the council, her help was most invaluable and I am eternally greatful for it. Oh No... that's not good...hopefully this will end well...but for now**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter.**_


	30. Chapter 30

**_Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better._**

 ** _guest: Elsa yes, the fateweavers...maybe not..._**

 ** _Guest: You have no idea..._**

 ** _Dreamsandimaginations: For more than one reason, she might need to hibernate in order to recover all the sleep she lost._**

 _ **A**_ _ **ny way, hope you all enjoy this new chapter of the firebird, read on and please remember to leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Seeing him flee Elsa ran after him while the guards who were called in by Anna spilled in to take care of the council.

Left and right Hans ran through the halls of the castle, keeping up with him Elsa chased him down, turning a corner she saw him barge into the door, the portal he had made to the Underground Kingdom.

Acting quick Elsa ran towards the door and followed quickly as she had an idea of where he was going.

* * *

The home was quiet and dark, anybody would think that there was nobody home, but Elsa knew better, Hans was there in the house, hiding somewhere inside, Elsa knew it, exactly where in the house she did not know, but he was there.

Walking in Elsa looked around the large home, entering the bedrooms, kitchen, everywhere, double checking over and over to make sure she was checking any possible hidding space.

"Where is he?" muttered Elsa as she looked.

Then there were whispers, "here" she heard over and over as the will o wisps showed up.

Looking Elsa saw more will o wisp appear, one by one, creating a path.

Nodding Elsa followed them to the indoor gardens, going down the stairs, towards the 3 level she saw the trail ended at large weeping willow.

"Thank you" said Elsa as the will o wisps vanished. Walking closer she parted the hanging branches and looked inside.

Sure enough Hans was there, his back against the tree trunk, knees pulled close and his head burried on them, the cloak and hood were pulled over him acting like a security blanket.

Relieved to see he was okay Elsa walked over, "Hans?" asked Elsa as she reached but he pulled away.

Not giving up Elsa sat next to him and reached again, pulling his hood down she ran her hand gently through his tear streaked face.

Looking at her Hans quickly tried to wipe his tears with his hand in an attempt to hide the fact that he had been crying.

Saying mothing Elsa pulled him to a comforting hug, he clung unto as she ran her hand through his hair and back in a smoothing motion.

"Its okay to cry, I won't judge" she said softly.

Looking down at his hands Hans whispered "I am sorry... I lost control".

Elsa gestured to try and touch his hands only for him to move so she could not.

"Why?" asked Elsa a bit hurt about his actions.

Sighting Hans said "I am sorry... its an ability I have..." turning he gestured, holding out his hand "Give me your hand"

Confused Elsa stared unsure.

"Its just best that I show you" he said, looking Elsa hesitated before placing her hand on his, closing it Elsa felt the back of her neck stand as what was like currents of electricity passed through her hand giving off a strange tingling sensation.

Soon her sight blurred as colors and shapes formed. She saw a man and a girl, very young, but it was not a happy scene.

It was pure horror as she watched what the man did to the poor girl, felt her fear, her pain as if it was her own as the poor girl was mutilated in the hands of that man whom she recognized as one of the council man.

"No!" yelled Elsa as she pulled her hand away, once she did the vision ended.

"That is what I see" Hans said softly then added "That is what I saw among other things from them".

"Was that why you lost control?" asked Elsa softly,

"Among other things" said Hans as he looked at his hands "My gloves were enchanted, they were a kind of power limiter",

"Why? You don't have a problem with your magic, not like I did" said Elsa confused,

"Its because of what I showed you, I have empathetic abilities, all of the fateweavers have it, but mine are more potent because I died once" explained Hans "Without the gloves I can see and feel the past, the people, everything, its almost as if their suffering was my own" taking a pause he breathed before he added "I can see into people souls, see whether their good or bad, the deeds they committed...",

"It must be depressing" said Elsa,

"You have no idea" said Hans then added "I am sorry I did not told you before, its something I do not like talking about, but rest asure I never once used that ability on you".

Shaking his head Hans let out a laugh before saying "I am sorry, I am really messed up" the next few moments he spent it completely opening up about his past, his family, what he went through, how he came to be, everything, whether it was because he was upset or because he could not take holding in the pain anymore without sharing it he did not know. But he admitted that he felt a little better after he finished, a bit lighter, as if a weight he had been carrying for years had been removed.

He looked down, not able to face Elsa after what he said, he knew she had to know, but with what happened and such surely she would not want to be with him anymore, not that he blamed her, she deserved better than a person who was in pieces on the inside.

"Its okay" whispered Elsa placing a hand on his shoulder and surprising herself, after everything that happened Elsa was sure that it would have been the last straw, but it was not.

Quite the contrary really, she understood more as everything made sense and it was quite sad really.

Having to live such a life of a fateweaver was very depressing and definetly not a life anybody would want. Which was no wonder people treated them in such a way and were held in such a high regard, they deserved it for all they do and suffer in silence and in Hans case she doubts that all the luxury and riches in the world will make up for what Hans went through and what he lost.

Hans was a Russian nesting doll, that she had known for sometime, but never how much.

He was many layers of many things yet deep inside all the layers hid a person who was very broken and in pieces.

It did not matter how much time had passed or that he had friends, wealth and power...

Non of it could ever heal the hurt and burden he carried on his shoulders.

That gadfly act he had when they first met was just that... an act... it was to hide all the hurt, the pain and heart aque.

"I am sorry...I really am a monster" said Hans again,

"It was not your fault" said Elsa "And your not a monster...You did what you did to protect Anna, Kristoff, me and Arendelle... and after seeing what you saw I do not blame you for what happened for I would have done the same thing too"

Saying nothing Hans rested his head against her, tears of relief as he lay there for a bit.

Elsa just held him, she knew he needed it even if he said nothing.

* * *

Soft cries and wails could be heard coming from cells, such cries were ignored by the guards as the people inside was the council, now criminals. They were criminals! the council though over and over as the events replayed in their minds. How could it have gone so wrong?! The plan was foolproof!

"So, I see your all here" they heard, turning they glared in anger at the dark figure resting against a wall,

"You! You tricked us!" yelled the Duke as he blindly reached to find and harm the man, who scoffed and said "I did not, I gave you all what you wanted, Queen Elsa will not marry the Firebird",

"But were in jail!" yelled one,

"A fitting end if I do say so myself" said the man as he stood up "I would wish you good day, but I don't feel like you deserve it" with that he vanished in shadows leaving the council to cry and beg for mercy they will never get.

* * *

Things were calm, the sun was shinning, there was silence, which was much needed after that ordeal with the council.

"I never realized how good it feels to just enjoy a stroll under the sun" said Kristoff as he limped a bit while he walked next to Hans who he managed to convince to let out for some much needed fresh air.

"Ya, feels good" said Hans as they walked, nodding Kristoff said "Thank you for saving my life again",

"No problem, you would have done the same for me" said Hans then after a while he asked "Have you seen Anna?",

"Anna? Yes, she visited me this morning, why do you ask?" said Kristoff confused as to why he was asking,

"I have not seen her in a while, I feel she has been avoiding me for a while" said Hans with a frown, Kristoff shared the same look, though it did not surprise him that Anna was avoiding Hans after what happened and the hurtful things she said even if she did it with good intentions.

"I am sure she will turn up eventually" said Kristoff shrugging then added "What about you and Elsa? How are you two?", Hans looked down then after a while "I don't know",

"Why?" asked Kristoff,

"I messed up big time" said Hans,

"Its probably not that bad" said Kristoff trying to help the situation,

"You want to bet? I just lost control, killed one person, almost killed another and Elsa and burned the castle down" Hans listed,

"Okay, its bad" said Kristoff wincing,

"Yes, I fear that I have lost whatever chance I had with her" said Hans sadly,

"I am sure not, if you did then she would have asked you to leave weeks ago" said Kristoff,

"Thanks" said Hans, but he was not convinced, who would want to stay with a person who acted like a monster?

They continued their walk before heading back to find Anna waiting, she seemed nervous as she was playing with her thumbs,

"Hello Anna" said Hans quickly hoping this would make her stay and not run away,

"Hello...was just wondering if you were okay" said Anna,

"I am fine, thank you" said Hans, looking between the two Kristoff said "I will leave you two alone" before limping away on his own, leaving the two to talk.

"Anna, its okay, I am not mad at you" began Hans hoping it would help calm Anna down,

"Really? After all the things I said?" said Anna,

"You did it to protect Kristoff and in all honesty I would have done the same thing if it would have been me in your shoes" said Hans softly "Your a caring person, that's how I knew something was not right",

"But still does not make what I said right" said Anna sadly before facing him and saying "I want to say that I am sorry for what I said",

"Don't be, its not your fault" said Hans as he summoned his soulstone to give it to Anna before she shook her head and said "There is no need",

"I made a promise",

"You kept it" said Anna "You have earned my trust and my blessing to marry my sister",

"Thank you, it means a lot" said Hans then added sadly "But I don't think I will be marrying her",

"Why?" said Anna shocked,

"I messed up big time, I lost control and almost ended up killing your sister" said Hans as he briefly looked at his hands before shaking his head "I don't think your sister would want to be with a monster like me",

"Hans your not a monster and I am sure Elsa will still want to be with you, she loves you so much" said Anna,

"I am not sure..." said Hans as he turned and began to walk back inside the castle "If she does not then I can't blame anybody but myself",

"Don't loose hope, I am sure everything will turn out fine" said Anna softly, hoping everything will turn out alright in the end.

Hans nodded his thanks, giving her a weak smile, he appreciated her efforts to cheer him up, even if it not, then after a while Anna said "Hans, I have a question...",

"Yes?" said Hans,

"Its about your soulstone, ummm has it glow strangely to you before?" asked Anna,

"Strangely? What way?" asked Hans confused,

"While you and Elsa were in the Underground Kingdom it sometimes began to pulse and glow, kinda like a beating heart, it would also be very hot to the touch, other nights it would glow so bright that it lit up my entire room" said Anna then muttered "Not letting me sleep",

"That is odd" said Hans baffled as he looked at his soulstone "It has never done that before",

"Never?" asked Anna,

"No, but maybe its nothing, it seems to be okay now" said Hans as he placed it around his neck and hid it under his shirt,

"You sure?" asked Anna,

"Yes, but if it makes those weird glows again I will go and have it checked by the other fateweavers" said Hans,

"Alright" said Anna unsure,

"Well, now that were friends again I may or may not have discovered where Gerda is hiding her secret stash of chocolate" said Hans then added with a cheeky smile "Fancy a chocolate raid?", Anna eyes lit up and said "Don't have to ask me twice!" before grabbing his arm and dragging him elsewhere. She was happy for the chocolate, but what made her even more happy was that she did not loose her friend.

While Hans deep inside was thinking, maybe it was just for the best he left for good.

* * *

Elsa looked over the papers over her desk. The council had been arrested and will be brought to trial for the kidnapping and atremtive murder of Kristoff, high treason, among other numerous crimes.

For that they would be put in prison for the rest of their lives, if they live long enough to serve a part of it as many of them sustained grave injuries.

While the ones involved because they were forced would serve a lesser sentence and have their tittles, riches and lands stripped from them.

"Hopefully we will be able to start anew from this point foreward" though Elsa when she heard a knock on the door.

"Enter" she called as she looked up as the door opened, there she found it was Hans.

"I am sorry, are you busy?" he asked softly,

"No, no I am just finishing" said Elsa as she put the papers away.

Nodding Hans walked over and said "I just finished healing Kristoff, he will be bed ridden and limping for a week or so, but will be okay",

"Thanks good, thank you" said Elsa softly, swallowing Hans sighted then said "I wanted to say good bye",

"Good bye?" asked Elsa shocked, he nodded and continued "Also to apologize for whatever problem, pain or anything you had to endure because of me and my presence, I also thank you for your hospitality, for letting into your home, family and kingdom, it was a real pleasure" as he placed a book "Some advice and ideas to help in your rule, you can keep and use them if you want".

Lifting his hand Hans hid the sorrow as he removed the ring Elsa gave him and placed it back on the table "Your ring",

"But I though you wanted to marry me" said Elsa as she picked the ring up and held it out, he shook his head and said "What I want more than anything is your happiness Elsa, you mean much more to me than my own life" with a bow he back away and said "With your permission I will take my leave"

Elsa looked down as she though, her heart raced with sorrow, yes they started on the wrong foot, yes he hid secrets from her, but they moved passed it, he proved to her he was genuine about his feelings for her over and over.

In the past she wanted nothing more than to get rid of him, but now... she could not imagine her life without him by her side.

"No" said Elsa as she stood up surprising Hans.

"No?" asked Hans wondering what she meant by that.

"Hans... what if I don't want you to take your leave now..." said Elsa carefully as she walked over,

"If not now then when?" asked Hans confused,

"Never..." said Elsa softly as she reached and took his hand "I want you to stay here in Arendelle, with me...",

"Elsa you do not have to, you deserve better" said Hans softly.

"I want to Hans... I want nobody but you" said Elsa softly as she wrapped her arms around him, he did the same and they held each other in a hug.

Then came those words, they were simple and sweet, yet were more powerful than any other speech or spell Hans ever heard.

"I love you" whispered Elsa.

Those words brough tears into Hans eyes, not sad, but happy tears as he never though he would ever heard them being spoken by the person he fell in love with.

"I love you too" said Hans as he leaned over and kissed her softly.

She returned the kiss.

Sure they had kissed before, on a dinner, but this kiss, it was something else, it was different, what exactly was different from it neither Hans or Elsa were sure of it, but regardless it was enjoyable.

They stayed like tha for a while before Elsa pulled away and said "Lets get married",

"If that is what you want it shall be done, for you, I will be the msot loving and devoted spouse, there will be nobody else I will love more than you and if there is, they will be the children which we will have" he said softly,

"I promise you the same, I will be your wife, your friend and if you leave I will never want anybody else that is not you" whispered Elsa.

With those words of vow they pledged themselves to one another, with a bond so strong that not even death itself will break and said bond and vow was sealed in the night.

* * *

Sitting down on the bed Elsa extended her hands gesturing Hans to come to her.

Which he did, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. He kissed her back close as the kiss deeped. They spent a good time like that till they had to pull away to get a breath.

Running her hands gently on his chest, undoing the clasps of his cloak before pulling it off, letting it fall to the ground before whispering "Take your clothes off".

* * *

It was a slow start, but Elsa did not mind as she slowly sat up from her bed.

Yawning she rubbed her eyes amd ran her hand through her wild bed hair.

Judging by the position of the sun it was late in the afternoon. This surprised her, she knew she was not a morning person, but she had never slept in that long before.

Turning to her side she was surprised to see Hans still asleep. It was odd as he was always up before the sun was up.

He was sleeping on his stomach, no sheets as it seems he kicked it off sometime during the night leaving him completly exposed. Not that Elsa minded though.

Scooting closer Elsa took his arm and placed it over her while she curled up closer against him.

Breathing Hans moved, pulling her closer to his body and resting his head against her head.

Smiling Elsa pressed her head against his neck, breathing in the smell of his colone or at least she thinks its his colone as he always had this pacticular smell about him, he smelled nice, warm and a bit spicy, maybe cinamon, she was not sure what it was but regardless he smelled good.

Moving she pressed her lips against his. It was at that moment that Hans woke up.

Eyes blinking still tired Hans looked at her, kissing him again Elsa ran her hand through his hair. He smiled against it and said "What a lovely way to wake up",

"So long as its just for me" said Elsa as she ran her hand through his hair again only to jump back, her eyes widening in fear.

"What's wrong?" asked Hans confused, she said nothing as her hand went to her mouth, her body trembling as she stared.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Hummm curiouser, why do the Fateweavers say that? What are they hiding?. Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**_ _ **Well you will have to wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think.**_


	31. Chapter 31

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Boring guest: You will see...**_

 _ **Guest: You won't have to wonder any longer lol.**_

 _ **guest: Yes, but its not over yet, its Hans and well... you will see..**_

 _ **Guest: I always loved fluff. Well you will see in this chapter.**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: She may change her mind, its not official yet.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Fear rang through Elsa's body and mind as she stared at Hans hair, specifically a white strand of hair which was not there before.

"What did I do?!" though Elsa in a panic as she tried to remember when during the night she froze him; Why?! This should not happen! She had her power under control! Also she had frozen Hans before and nothing happened as he just thaw himself off.

"Elsa, what is it? What's wrong?" said Hans placing his hands on her shoulders to steady her as she began to hyperventilate.

"No...no...not again" she said gasping,

"No? No what? What's wrong?" said Hans worried, tears streamed down Elsa eyes she stammered and babbled not able to force the words out of her mouth, finally she grabbed the strand of hair and moved it so he saw it. Confused Hans looked, what he said next shocked Elsa "Hum, seems the vow was much more powerful and pure than I though it was going to be",

"What?" asked Elsa baffled as she got a grip on herself,

"You don't need to worry, this is quite normal" said Hans then pointed out "You have one too" moving his hand over her hair, moving it before showing her the strand she had, hers was auburn red.

"I don't understand" said Elsa,

"You know how the vow is your equivalent of a wedding" said Hans,

"Yes?" said Elsa,

"This" he said holding the hair "Is the equivalent of a wedding ring, though it tends to vary from person to person depending on how strong the vow is, most people get similar marks on their body, others their eyes change, hair is the rarest though",

"So I did not freeze you?" asked Elsa relaxing a bit more,

"No and you would not be able to even if you tried" said Hans cheekily, Elsa looked annoyed before pinching his shoulder,

"Ow, that hurt" Hans whined playfully,

"Or you rather not have access to my bedroom for a week?" said Elsa,

"Your so cruel my queen" said Hans chuckling a bit,

"I could be worse, I just make exceptions for you" said Elsa as she moved and rested against his chest,

"Awww, I am special" said Hans as he moved her hair and pressed his lips on her forehead,

"Don't push your luck" teased Elsa, Hans chuckled at that then kissed her forehead when they heard a knock on the door, it was Gerda.

"Your highness, are you alright?" asked Gerda, both Hans and Elsa panicked as it would be quite scandalous if they were caught,

"Yes I am fine, give me a moment" said Elsa as she quickly put on her night dress while Hans got his clothes, put them on then opened a window, turned to smoke and left through it.

Nodding Elsa walked over and opened the door, greeting Gerda.

* * *

Arriving to his room through the chimney Hans changed back to solid form before walking over to a nearby armchair and laying on it, sighting in relief.

"That was close" he though before he heard whispers, all around the will o wisps showed up, they looked worried,

"What's wrong?" asked Hans, saying nothing one of them held up a letter he did not noticed till just now, taking the letter he looked over it before opening it and reading it.

A look of worry spread through his face as he finished, the letter was from Agathe, she and the other fateweavers know about him loosing control and requested he return to the Underground kingdom and explain himself.

"Hopefully it won't be too bad" though Hans as he closed the letter, he was just in his reasons for doing what he did even if he lost control.

* * *

"Everything will be fine" Hans had said over and over to Elsa but still could not help but worry about Hans as he and the other Fateweavers were busy speaking about what happened with the council, with Hans loosing control.

Turning Elsa walked back and forth the hallway as she waited alone, then something caught her, turning her head to get a better look Elsa stared at the person she had not noticed before.

It was a man, his skin was a dark mocha color, wore white cloth which covered his waist and legs, an old leather bag with beaded necklaces that contained what could be lapis lazuli, emeralds, quartz, azurite, carnelian and gold, had black and red cloth with gold fire covering his shoulders, seems he noticed her presence as he turned and looked at her.

Elsa's eyes widen, he had the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen, he stared at her silently, reached behind and pulled his hood over his head before turning and leaving as quiet as the wind.

Curious Elsa followed this stranger, why she was not sure, but she felt she needed to follow him. Down a hallway and stairs Elsa followed this stranger till they reached a large done like room, it was circular, all around there were openings which were covered by gates to keep others out.

The silent stranger walked over to a gate, it was made out of gold and adorned with rubies giving it a flame like appearance, placing his hands on it he pushed it open before entering.

"Sir?" asked Elsa as she went after him inside of the room only to gasp.

The room she had entered, it was a large mausoleum of sorts, it had a large stain glass window which let light in from an unknown source, the ground was covered in beautiful mosaic of flames, on the side in a neat row were 7 beautiful coffins carved out of beautiful white marble, the 7 had statues of people in front of said coffins, only one was empty.

Elsa felt a shiver on her back when she looked at the empty coffin and the statue, there was no denying for who it was. As she moved to get a closer look she felt a hand grab her shoulder making her scream and fail in surprise slamming against a small shrine and knocking something over.

"Easy, its me" said Hans raising his hands,

"You scared me" said Elsa as she gasped and breathed to calm her heart,

"I am sorry, I though you heard me" said Hans as he bend down and picked up the item Elsa had knocked down, it was a strange doll of sorts, it had no hair or face or any distinguishing features other than the clothes and cloak which mirror what Hans normally wore.

"Doll?" asked Elsa not wanting to ask what she wanted to ask,

"Yes, changes depending on the phoenix" said Hans as he placed it back on the shrine "But whenever I hold it, for some reason, I feel sad, as if it was missing something",

"Missing?",

"That it was part of a set but its not complete" said Hans then shrugged "Or maybe its just me feeling that way because unlike the other fateweavers I don't have a partner",

"Partner?" asked Elsa even more curious,

"Fateweavers are usually paired up, its to balance each other out, like for example Marius and Rohan, Merlin and Agathe, but not me, I am the uneven one, the only one who does not have a partner" said Hans,

"Maybe you do have a partner... somewhere" said Elsa after a while,

"Not that I know off" said Hans then sarcastically added "Maybe the fateweavers know and don't tell me anything", Elsa raised her eyes at him in surprise, shaking his head Hans said "Sorry, they forgave me and they will allow our relationship, but do not accept it".

"Isn't that good?" said Elsa,

"Yes, but their clearly not happy about it" said Hans shrugging, nodding Elsa turned, looking back at the coffins and asked "Are they?", Hans nodded grimly before walking so he was in front of the coffins, he gets on his knees in a praying position before saying something in that strange language which was called Fae language, Elsa was taught a bit by Hans, Agathe and Marius, but not an expert, she could make out some words, a prayer if she was correct.

Finishing he got up and asked "Can you make some ice flowers?", there was no need for saying as Elsa moved her hands and made ice lilies, nodding his thanks Hans took the lilies and placed them in the coffins.

When finished Hans said "Thank you...",

"No problem" said Elsa taking his hand and leaving, she had wanted to tell him about the stranger she followed, but decided not to. Surely the stranger just left or maybe went elsewhere without her noticing.

"Maybe" though Elsa.

* * *

What seemed to be the end of a relationship turned out not to be. Instead it was the begining of a better one.

Though they made their vow therefor were married in the eyes of the the Underground kingdom Hans and Elsa took their time and courted a bit more.

Now with the council gone things got better in the kingdom even more when Anna and Kristoffs wedding happened.

The wedding was held in a beautiful winter day and it brought great joy and the celebration to the people.

With friends and family the palace had never been so packed with people.

"Allow me" said Hans as he pulled the chair for Elsa to sit down, Elsa nodded as she sat down and the chair was pulled close before Hans sat next to her.

Dinner was served and everybody was having a wonderful time as they made merry, congratulating and gave gifts and best wishes to the couple.

"I hope this is not too much" said Hans as he handed Anna and Kristoff a box.

"Oh what is it?" said Anna exited as she shook the box,

"Careful, its quite fragile" said Hans carefully while Elsa held unto his arm.

Smiling the two opened the box and gasped, inside lay two beautiful solid gold brooches, both were encrusted with emeralds and diamonds, had delicate crocus filigree designs which surrounded camoes, one had Annas cameo and the other had Kristoffs.

"Its beautiful Hans, truly a work of art" said Anna happily,

"It is" said Kristoff, normally jewels and such did not impressed him, but had to admit it was beautiful for the meaning behind it.

"Thank you, I though you two would love to have them, that way no matter how far apart you both will always carry a reminder of one another" said Hans,

"Thank you, we truly appreciated it" said Kristoff as he took Annas cameo brooch while Anna took Kristoffs cameo brooch.

"But as nice of a gift that it is, I want one thing above all the others" said Anna,

"What is it Anna?" asked Elsa curious, with a mischivious smile Anna said "A date",

"Date?" asked Elsa confused, she looked at Hans who shrugged not really knowing what Anna was talking about.

"Yes, the date of you wedding" said Anna, now that caught all of their friends attention as the fateweavers, Victoria, Albert, Arianna, Frederik and everybody else all gathered.

Elsa and Hans remained quiet for a bit, in truth they did discussed a date but decided to hold it both the announcement and the wedding as they did not want to hurt Rohans feelings and because Sylvia was not caught. Yet looking at Anna they found themselves unable to refuse her request.

"Should we tell them?" asked Hans unsure,

"I don't know, don't want to take attention from the bride" said Elsa hoping that would be enough to end the subject, but it was not.

"Come on! Tell me!" Begged Anna,

"I second that, don't torture us with the suspence" said Albert,

"Here here" said the Fateweavers, though they were still on the fence on whether they approved the relationship between Hans and Elsa or not.

"Oh alright, me and Hans talked and we decided to hold our wedding" began Elsa unsure,

"Yes" said Victoria who was all giddy with excitment at the though of her dear friend and brother getting married.

"It will be-",

"And what makes you think there will be a wedding?" a voice cut.

Dead silence fell into the area, emmediatly Elsa noticed how pale Hans turned, he was as white as a sheet, his eyes were as big as a deer in torch light at the sound of the strangers voice.

But to Hans the voice was not strange, despite the years that passed he could always still recognize that voice anywhere.

Turning Hans grew paler as a dark large raven emerged from the shadows and gently flew down to the ground.

Once on the ground the bird was engulfed with shadows, when gone there was a hooded cloaked figure of a man.

Pulling the hood down there was silence, the man was older than Hans, he had similar facial feature, his hair was black as night, eyes behind his glasses were blue.

Walking over the stranger nodded, his eyes shone with tears that were not shed.

"Hello... little brother" he said, his voice full of emotion,

"Lars" said Hans coldly shocking everybody, that! Was his brother?!,

"Its been too long... you look great" said Lars softly, the last time he had seen Hans he was a bird, but here he was, he had grown nicely into an adult,

"What do you want?" Hans could not help but bite back,

"I have come to take you back home" said Lars,

"I am home" said Hans taking Elsas hand, holding it as if it was his lifeline "I am with family, friends and I am going get married to the love of my life",

"I see" said Lars as he looked at Elsa with a calculating gaze, at that moment Elsa was fully convinced Lars was indeed related to Hans before Lars said "I do not recall Queen Elsa asking MY permission to marry you little brother"

At that moment Hans bit the inside of his cheek, his hands clenched shut and trembled as he desperately tried to keep his anger in check a he did not want to cause a scene and ruin Anna's and Kristoffs day.

Elsa was quick to note how the temperature around Hans quickly changed from room temperature to boiling hot in a matter of seconds.

Reaching she placed her hand on his, as soon as she did the tenperature slowly began to drop till it was room temperature.

"Come now brother, the isles awaits for our return" said Lars,

"Lars, I made my answer clear, I am not going anywhere with you" said Hans in a firm and controlling voice.

"I am your elder and with father and mother dead that makes me your guardian there for what I say goes Little brother" said Lars,

"You are not my anything" said Hans somehow stopping himself from snapping at him. How dare he?! To come barging into his life and ordering him around as if he was a child?!

He is not his father or brother! He lost his chance ages ago!

"Listen sir, I don't want to cause a scene but this is a private party, you cannot just come in uninvited and expect-" began Albert trying to be the voice of reason.

"This matter is non of your buisness" said Lars in anger, out if all of them it seems his anger was reserved especially for Albert.

"You do not talk to my brother that way" warned Hans,

"He is not your brother" snarled Lars angry at Hans declaration,

"He is more than you" snapped Hans "We may be related by blood but that is all we have that connects us".

Lars was taken back, his eyes shone, it was very clear that he was hurt by Hans words.

For a moment, despite what Hans told Elsa, she felt sorry for Lars, so wanting to make peace at least till after the wedding party Elsa said "Please Hans, its clear that Lars came a long way... lets extend an invitation for him and have him stay, please".

Turning his head Hans looked incredulous at her, but Elsa placed her free hand on her arm. Just stared, mentally pleading for him to agree as she did not want her sisters wedding party to be ruined.

Sighting Hans turned and said "Would you stay for the night?", Lars mood did a 180 and said "It would be delightful".

With the situation resolved the party resumed, yet the enviroment was so tense it could be cut with a knife.

Attach to her hip Hans remained, never leaving her side as he gripped her arm as if he was afraid either he or she would be ripped away, Lars did not make things better as he too spent the night following them around as if he was their shadow making it for a very uncomfortable party.

About 2 in the morning the party ended and Anna and Kristoff retired to bed while the guest left.

Walking to their room Hans and Elsa were hoping to retire only to find Lars had followed them.

"Where are you two going?" asked Lars crossing his arms.

"Its been a long night, so we are going to bed" said Hans,

"Together?" asked Lars, almost accusingly.

To this neither Hans or Elsa answered, in truth despite protocol they had been sharing a bed for a while even before their vow, to avoid scandal Hans always leaves early so nobody would notice.

"Brother pack your bags, we are leaving" said Lars,

"Get it through your thick head Lars, I am not going anywhere" snarled Hans, since they were alone he could now.

"I am your-",

"You are my nothing! Lars we have nothing between us! We are nothing more than strangers" snapped Hans,

"Regardless we are brothers, we have the same blood coursing through our veins and nothing will change that" Lars said raising his voice,

"It means nothing if there is no bond" said Hans,

"So there is no bond between us yet there is for that Albert person" said Lars,

"Don't bring Albert into this!" Snapped Hans,

"Please, stop it! The two of you" said Elsa trying to intervine but did not know what to do to get them to stop.

"You stay out of this! This is your fault! You evil woman!" snapped Lars turning his anger on Elsa.

"Don't you dare" growled Hans,

"Its the truth! She is nothing but a penny" said Lars.

Hans eyes widen at that before they narrowed in anger "Apologize" he hissed,

"No" said Lars "You are coming home with me and that is final".

"Hans! No stop-" began Elsa but was too late as Hans lost it and charged over to Lars.

His fist slammed against Lars chin knocking the man against the wall. Picking himself up Lars glared before saying "I am sorry it had to be this way little brother".

The next thing Elsa knew they began to fight.

Turning to their bird form they attacked one another, talons out they tore at one another as they fought.

Feathers flew, blood covered the hallway, tables and paintings were smashed as the two birds flew around the roof attacking one another.

"Stop it! Both of you!" yelled Elsa as she chased them down to another ball room which was closed for repairs.

With more room Hans threw a ball of fire only for it to collide with Elsas ice magic.

"I said enough!" yelled Elsa as she summoned ice creating a wall between the two in an effort to stop the fight.

Turning to his human form Hans fired up his fist before punching the wall, crashing it before charging and grabbing Lars neck, his burning hands on Lars neck.

Lars gagged and struggled as he turned to his human form, reaching around before grabbing a discarded chunk of ice and slamming it against Hans knocking him aside.

Standing up Lars made a move to charge at Hans only for Elsa to freeze his feet to the ground, immobilizing him.

"I said enough!" yelled Elsa but before she could stop Hans he was up and slammed against Lars sending them both down, Lars threw a punch only for Hans to catch it, his arm began to hurt and Hans began to burn Lars hand and arm causing him to scream.

"Hans stop! Your hurting him" yelled Elsa as she ran over and tried to pull Hans off only for him to growl "Stay out if my way!", his eyes as black as coal.

During that distraction Lars latched unto Hans back, pressing the mysterious jagged clear crystal Sylvia had given him on his lower back.

As soon as it made contact Hans back flared up with the most horrible pain he had never felt before.

Letting out a scream Hans hands went to his back as he fell to the side and began to convulse.

And it was not just him but Elsa too screamed as she felt the pain herself. It was awful! Never had she felt anything like that before in her life as she collapsed to the ground.

Then after a while the pain began to fade as a strange numbing sensation took over. It was that kind of sensation you get after you do a lot of work with no rest.

As her sight began to fail she heard Lars say "I am sorry it had to be this way..." then there was nothing.

 _ **To be continue...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Ohhh no..no no no... That's not good. Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter,**_ _ **please stay tuned for the next chapter and please leave a review to tell me what you think of this one.**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Guest: Actually they did took...precautions... to prevent that because with Sylvia still on the loose they did not want to bring a child into the world knowing that the child would be in danger.**_

 _ **Darkphoenix: Cool name by the way. You have no idea how significant it is. Well in truth Lars is not really insane, there is more to his actions and what's driving them than you think. But I cannot say as it would be a huge spoiler.**_

 _ **guest: Your right, that is no good, especially with hos desperate Lars was to get his brother back.**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: Actually its the Fateweavers not the kingdom you should be worried about. lol**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter so please sit back, relax, enjoy a good read and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

 _Letting out a scream Hans hands went to his back as he fell to the side and began to convulse._

 _And it was not just him but Elsa too screamed as she felt the pain herself. It was awful! Never had she felt anything like that before in her life as she collapsed to the ground._

 _Then after a while the pain began to fade as a strange numbing sensation took over. It was that kind of sensation you get after you do a lot of work with no rest._

 _As her sight began to fail she heard Lars say "I am sorry it had to be this way..." then there was nothing._

* * *

"Hans!" screamed Elsa as she came back too, sitting up she looked all around panicking, it was at that moment she realized she was in her room, but that though brought no comfort when she saw Hans was not anywhere to be seen.

"Elsa, calm down, breath" said Anna as she went to her sisters side and took her hand, she had been watching her sister for a while, hoping for her to wake up.

"Hans! He was...where is he?!" said Elsa as she tried to stand up, but was stopped by Anna,

"Calm down Elsa, Hans is-",

"Fine" said an extra voice, turning the two looked to find Agathe, quietly she walked over,

"How can Hans be fine?! I saw him be kidnapped by his brother! After the two fought and tried to tear one another apart!" said Elsa baffled at her answer,

"You do not need to worry, we will handle it" said Agathe soothingly, Elsa looked, she knew she was not as strong as them, but regardless she could help,

"Let me help" said Elsa,

"No, we will handle it" insisted Agathe.

Something, Elsa was not sure if it was the tone of Agathe said or her body language told her this woman was hiding something, Elsa was sure as Hans taught her how to read body language effectively, never had it failed her.

"Why not?" demanded Elsa,

"Because it is non of your concern" said Agathe,

"It is" said Elsa getting angry as Agathes response further convinced her that was indeed hiding something Reacting to her anger snow flakes appearing around Elsa and began dancing about dangerously, seeing this Elsa took a breath and decided to go about it a different way and added "He and I made the vow, Hans has been kidnapped so it is MY BUISNESS".

Upon saying those words Agathes demeanor changed, for a moment her face hardened in anger and displeasure before saying "It means nothing" with that she got up and left. As soon as she did Anna asked "What do you mean by vow?", Elsa shook her head before saying "It does not matter...", with that she got up and added "Agathe is hiding something, they all are",

"Hiding? What would they be hiding?" asked Anna confused,

"Yes...and I am going to find out what" said Elsa before turning and looking seriously "Anna I am leaving you in charge till I get back",

"But Elsa",

"Please Anna, I have to do this" Begged Elsa, looking down Anna though, she wanted to refuse but found herself unable to so she said "Okay". Then tensed when Elsa ran over and hugged Anna "Thank you, I owe you for this" before turning around and began to move about the room, gathering things, for something told her this was going to be a long journey.

* * *

Minutes? Hours? Days? How much time had it passed? Those were the thoughts running through Hans mind as he slowly came too, at first he though he was in Arendelle with Elsa, then that he was back in his home, but quickly realized it was neither.

The room was not his bedchambers or Elsa's, the walls were stone, the roof was wood giving it an old look, the bed was comfy but was not his. Quickly getting up Hans placed his hand on his forehead as the room seemed to spin for a moment, his muscles protested with pain but he forced himself to move as his first instinct was to get out of there.

Opening the door he stuck his head out and looked around, the hallway was large, portraits decorating the hall, but no people, which was what Hans wanted.

Leaving the room Hans quietly moved through the area, going through halls and downstairs trying to find a way out, hopefully without attracting attention.

"Where is the exit?" he muttered before finally found the a door which lead to the outside of the building.

"Ha" he though as he reached for the door nob only to yell when he touched it, the nob was cold, so cold it burned, pulling his hand and holding it close he hissed in pain, but had little time to do more as shadow began to appear all around. Growing tense Hans looked around, never had he seen so many shadow demons in one place, there were so many that they blocked out the sunlight coming from the windows making the place look darker than it was.

Summoning a flame to defend himself Hans immediately realized there was something wrong, he could barely summon a proper flame and what he managed to was weak and made his body ache as if he was over exhorting himself.

Soon the shadow demons seem to move aside as a dark figure walked over, Hans glared, it was Lars,

"So you are up, was worried there for a second" said Lars sounding genuine in his concern, the key word being sounding,

"What do you want?" snapped Hans, he had no reason to be nice to Lars, he was a bit taken back at Hans remark but not surprised, so calmly Lars said "I was going to get you so we could have dinner and talk like adults",

"I have nothing to say to you" snapped Hans as he turned to try and force the door open but was unable to, what was wrong with him!? He is usually stronger than this!

"I am sorry, but that is not an answer I can accept" said Lars "Just come with me, we can talk things out",

"I answer remains the same" growled Hans as he continued to try to force the door open,

"I am afraid you have no choice Hans, all the doors and windows leading outside are enchanted, they will not let anybody in or out unless I give the command" said Lars,

"We will see about that" muttered Hans as he placed both hands on the door nob and began to try to use his magic to melt it, but sadly the more he used the weaker he got, he fought against the pain in his muscles and the weakness he felt before collapsing to the ground, gasping as if he had flown half way around the world with no stopping.

"Hans...I know it may seem bad now, but I am doing this for your own good" Lars tried to calmly,

"Sure and I am a dodo bird" snapped Hans as he forced himself up,

"Listen, just come with me and I will explain everything" said Lars,

"Not in a thousand million years, not even for all the tea in China, nor the gold of 20 empires, not if the sky was swarming with pigs" snapped Hans,

"But pigs don't fly",

"Excatly my point!" snarled Hans before going back upstairs,

"Where are you going?" demanded Lars angry,

"To that room I was left in, I rather be there and starve than to stomach a minute more of your company" said Hans before storming upstairs, about a minute or so passed before they heard a door slam.

"Told you he was not going to take it well" Lars heard, sighting he turned to face Clara who had seen the whole thing,

"Must you rub it in my face?" said Lars sighting,

"No, but its very clear that while your book smart when it comes to people your not exactly an expert" said Clara as she walked over and placed an hand on his arm "Just let him cool down for a bit, give him his space then maybe he will be more open to talk and listen",

"But he is being so difficult!" said Lars angry as he grabbed and rubbed his arm, it was scared from Hans attack, still hurting as if it was still on fire, he thank his most mysterious helper Sylvia for letting him borrow whatever that crystal as it worked to subdue Hans,

"Can you blame him? He was taken away from his friends and a place he sees as home" said Clara,

"I am doing it for his own good" said Lars,

"Hans does not see it that way" said Clara as she turned to leave but stopped and said "If his highness wants I can try to talk to your brother later on, maybe help defuse things",

"Thank you" said Lars,

"No problem" said Clara then added playfully "Where would you be without me?", sighting a bit annoyed Lars said "Alone in an alleyway, drunk as a grape",

"Precisely" chirped Clara before leaving, Lars shook his head at her and chuckled before leaving as he had some meetings to attend to among other things.

* * *

Looking at the lake Elsa glared as she pulled the cloak over her head to make sure as it would not fall off before she whispered the same words Hans would whisper to get the access to the Fateweavers secret lair.

When she finished she was worried she had not done it right but in a minute or so the lake opened up to reveal the stairs, moving quick Elsa entered the lair not knowing she was being followed.

* * *

Steps were heard as Elsas heal hit the ground, she slowed down, trying to be as quiet as possible as she was not sure what the fateweavers could be anywhere. Looking at the throne room she sighted in relief when she saw they were not there so she moved on.

She knew the Fateweavers knew more than what they were letting on so she was going to find out what was it they were hiding.

"Should we not look for Hans?" she heard Marius say, crouching a bit Elsa moved to a room and listened in.

"We do not have to, its very clear that Hans at some point will be able to escape on his own" said Merlin,

"Are you sure?" asked Agathe worried,

"Of course, those power burst have proven that he has gone beyond our level somehow...in fact I dare say he is just as powerful as Bak was when he was alive" said Merlin making the others gasp,

"Are you sure? I know he is strong, but he is not supposed to be that strong" said Flora,

"Apparently he is" said Merlin.

Shaking Elsa decided to move on as she needed to find the library or anywhere she can get information about whatever Lars was. As she left she heard a creaking and slamming sound. Usually Elsa would not follow the noise, but she did as she had to put a stop to it before it attracts the attention of the fateweavers.

Following it Elsa stopped, behind her, she heard an extra step behind her. So with a swift move she summoned ice to encase whatever the threat was.

"Hey!" there was a yell.

Moving carefully Elsa turned to face the person to find it was Albert,

"Albert, what are you doing here? I though you were back in England?" whispered Elsa as she looked around, hoping nobody heard,

"Hans is my brother, I cannot just sit still and do nothing when I can help" said Albert as Elsa thawed away the ice, freeing him,

"I know you want to help, but this could be dangerous" said Elsa,

"That's why you need help, I can help you" said Albert, Elsa was going to refuse but at this point she had no choice so she said "Alright, but we need to be quiet", nodding together they continued to follow that noise to find that it was coming from the gate of the mausoleum of the Phoenixes, it opened and closed, creaking.

"That's odd" though Elsa as she entered and looked around, something was telling her that there was something in the room, something hidden.

Following her instinct Elsa looked around and found herself standing before the shrine with the doll, taking it Elsa looked over it as she muttered "Just what are you hiding?",

"What's wrong?" asked Albert as he walked over only to jump back when Elsa tore the dolls clothes off, before he could say anything she found what she was looking for, a key was hiding in the doll.

Putting the clothes back on the doll Elsa stared at the key, "Elsa?" asked Albert again as she moved back to the shrine and looked around before finding a key hole, placing the key in the hole she turned it and back away the shrine sunk to the ground to reveal a dark opening.

Shaking her head Elsa snapped out of the trance she was in,

"How did you know that was there?" asked Albert in shock,

"I don't know... I just did" said Elsa unsure before the two walked into the opening.

* * *

There was no way out, Hans though over and over as he lay on bed, starring up to the ceiling, trying to figure out a way to escape. But so far there was non, he tried to escape through the windows, but they refused to break or open, the doors were not possible as all were enchanted so he would not be able to escape.

"There has to be a way" though Hans before he heard a knock on the door, angry he got up, stormed over, opened the door and yelled blindly "I told you to leave me alone!" before slamming the door closed. About a minute or so when Hans cooled down his eyes widen as he realized the person he yelled outside was not his brother.

Opening the door Hans quickly said "I am sorry, I though you were-",

"Your brother?" said the woman "Its fine, don't blame you for being angry at him" she was not upset at him yelling at her before adding "Mind if you let me in?",

"Of course" said Hans moving aside and letting her in,

"Thank you, my name is Clara, I am the head palace keeper here" said Clara,

"Your young" Hans pointed out,

"I am not that young, I am quite older than I appear" said Clara with a light laugh as she entered then added "I was wondering if you wanted me to get you something, since your not going to be dinning with your brother",

"Not now or ever" said Hans stubbornly in anger,

"You know, your brother just wants to be your brother again" said Clara,

"I don't care, I was thinking of talking to him, but that went out the window the moment he kidnapped me and forced me away from my friends and family" snapped Hans,

"I know and I don't blame you" said Clara then added "I won't force you either, I know what Lars did was not right",

"Thank you" said Hans glad that Clara would not push him to interact with Lars,

"Your welcome" said Clara as she turned to leave, as she did she called "Will be back with your dinner, feel free to talk to me whenever you want somebody to talk to",

"Thank you" said Hans as he closed the door behind her, he was glad he actually had somebody to talk. As he closed the door he never realized Lars had heard everything.

* * *

This place, this mausoleum, it was huge contrast to the Phoenix mausoleum.

It was dark, dusty, full of cobwebs, the coffins were broken and cracked from years of neglect, there was no care, no decorations, its as if whoever made this place had no care about who these people were.

"I don't like this...Who would do this?...Who were these people?" asked Albert as he walked pass black marble coffins which were cracked and seemed that they would fall apart if touched,

"Not sure" whispered Elsa as she noticed then walked over to the shrine, on it there was a doll, it was like the phoenix doll but different, the clothes were black with silver motifs and strange enough the doll had tiny glasses and if Elsas memory served her correctly this dolls outfit matched what Lars was wearing the day they met.

Next to the doll was an empty spot, as if something was meant to be next to it.

Looking down at the phoenix doll she picked up Elsa though "I wonder" as she held out the phoenix doll then next to the other one, when she did she felt her heart race, it was as if something which was missing was found and restored to its rightful place.

Backing away Elsa looked around trying to make sense of all this, why hide this place? why was it attached to the phoenix mausoleum? and what is the connection of this person to the phoenix? is it a fateweaver as well? It seems the more she found the more questions she was left.

"Queen Elsa... you better see this" she stopped when she heard Albert say that, his voice was laced with fear. Turning she walked over to Albert then her eyes widen as she saw what he saw. White marble statues, they did not notice them as they were set on a place so that they would not be spotted easily, but regardless one could tell that they did not belong here.

As she stared Elsa felt a shiver of fear running up and down her spine, there were three in total, one of a child around the ages of 7 to 9 years old, the next was a teenager around maybe 16 years old and the last one was a grown adult, but regardless she knew who these people were.

"Hans?" Elsa said voicing her thoughts, Albert nodded before saying "This makes no sense, Hans told me that the statues were made after the phoenix..." his voice trailed off, his eyes widen.

There was no need for him to finish as Elsa figured out what he was going to say, these statues meant one of two things, the first is that the Fateweavers though Hans was going to die at some point, the second was a horrible though, that they were planning to kill Hans off.

It was terrible, but with all the secrets and such it was a possibility to Elsa as she stared before Albert said "We better leave, we don't know if-"

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?!" they heard, turning Elsa felt rage as she stared at Agathe who stood there,

"Tell me" growled Elsa then commanded with all the authority of a queen she had "NOW!".

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Oh no...that's not good...Elsa is not happy and I cannot blame her for it**_ _ **, but what will happen next?**_ _ **Well you will have to wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter as we may have an epic battle on our hands.**_

 _ **Fun fact: Drunk as grapes is a saying for being super drunk or intoxicated with alcohol.**_


	33. Chapter 33

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Miss Muse Clues: Thank you, glad you like it, I work hard to make the best stories possible. Will work on it.:)**_

 _ **Guest: You have no idea... things have gone from black and white to gray in a second.**_

 _ **Guest: She was scary without being angry. Lol In an earlier she scared Hans by playing hot and cold and she was not angry.**_

 _ **Darkphoenix: I would tell you, but its a huge spoiler, but you may find out about in this chapter.**_

 _ **Yubima-chan: Maybe... and you will see...**_

 _ **Dreamdandimaginations: You have no idea... Sadly Lars may or may not take a hint... luckily he has Clara to give him a "Push" in the right direction.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

 _Narrowing her eyes Elsa held and placed the phoenix doll next to it, she felt her heart race, it was as if something which was missing was found, restored to its rightful place._

 _"So...you found it" they heard, turning Elsa felt rage as she stared at Agathe who stood there,_

 _"Tell me" growled Elsa then commanded with all the authority of a queen she had "NOW!"._

* * *

The tension was high, Elsa was shaking, not in fear, but in the sheer rage she felt as she stared at Agathe, turning her head Agathe said "I don't have to tell you anything",

"You have to" growled Elsa angry as she pointed all around "I am not liking what I am seeing and its making me think the unthinkable",

"What does it make you think?" asked Agathe with mask like features,

"That you and your friends don't care about Hans, I am willing to bet you never even loved him" accused Elsa "He was nothing more than a pawn for you to use" it was horrible and hurtful accusation but Elsa was too angry to care, she had a right to do so with all the evidence that surrounded her and all the secrets the Fateweavers were keeping.

Agathes mask was broken in a brief moment, her eyes grew watery at her hurtful words before they harden as she said "You do not know anything",

"No I don't, why don't you enlighten me?" growled Elsa angry as she was tired of all the secrets and scared, she knew the more time passed the more she was sure Hans was in danger,

"Its non of your business, your not one of us, your not a fateweaver" shouted Agathe,

"Then I will prove to you! I challenge you!" snapped Elsa.

Silence settled into the area as soon as she uttered those words, Agathe stared, her eyes narrowing at Elsa before she said "Are you sure?", Elsa felt scared for a moment but seeing the statues, what was hidden, it strengthen her resolve so Elsa said "I need to know, but most of all Hans needs to know... The truth is going to lead me to Hans, if challenging you is what it takes to get to the truth, I will do it".

Nodding grimly Agathe said "Alright, the challenge is accepted, we will have a magic duel, only have one weapon to assist us, no more, no less, if you defeat me I will tell you what you want", Elsa listened and nodded before saying "Okay, we shall duel",

"Today, three hours from now in the training room, be there" said Agathe with that she turned and left, once gone Albert was scared for Elsa, Agathe was strong, very strong, she could seriously hurt Elsa.

"Queen Elsa, are you sure?" asked Albert voicing worried, turning Elsa stared before nodding and saying "I have to, they left me with no choice".

* * *

Soft clicks and clanks were heard in the dinning room, but other than that there was no other sound, Hans picked at the food on his plate, not feeling particularly hungry... or anything.

Ever since he was forced back to the isles he felt weak, drained, so very tired, so much so he just did not feel like doing or even feeling anything, which was not like him.

Carefully Hans shot an accusing glare to Lars who sat on the opposite side eating his meal, Lars had done something to him, he was sure of it!

"So Hans, anything you want to say?" asked Lars as he put his fork down, Hans glare just intensified before looking away, not saying anything.

"Your not making this any easier Hans" said Lars with a sight,

"How am I not?" growled Hans finally speaking, but he did not want to as he was not in the mood.

"Your acting like a 3 year old who got his toy taken away from him" said Lars, that was like fuel to fire as Hans was outraged at what he said, how dare he?! he was not the one who was dragged away from his friends and love!

"You should talk, you cannot expect me to be all polite and happy after you kidnapped me and are holding me against my will" growled Hans at him,

"I am doing this for your own good" said Lars, his voice getting a little louder as his patience was running thin,

"What do you!? You know nothing about me! In fact you did not care about me in the past!" yelled Hans,

"Don't you yell at me! I am your elder!" Lars began to yell,

"Only physically! In everything else your no bigger than a thumb!" snapped Hans as the two began to exchange not to nice words.

Looking between them Clara would have laughed at the two brothers arguments, they were definitely brothers without a doubt, but the situation was not funny, she knew Lars meant well, but he was hurting Hans and Hans was not helping in his own situation by being so angry and aggressive all the time, though she did not blame him for it as she too would have acted the same way if she was in his shoes.

Finally Hans said "I had enough!" turning he left,

"Where do you think your going!? Were not done here!" yelled Lars,

"We are! and I am going!" Hans shot back before slamming the door behind him, growling Lars sat down and ran his hands through his hair, he felt like he wanted to tear it off in frustration.

Sighting Clara walked over and said "I hate to say I told you so",

"But you just did" said Lars irritated,

"SO you prefer for me to smack you again for being stupid? Cause I got that large French encyclopedia which is waiting for you" warned Clara,

"No" said Lars meekly,

"I though so" said Clara then added "I have a proposition which might help solve the situation a bit",

"Which is?" asked Lars curious,

"Why don't you let Queen Elsa visit? Surely it will-" began Clara,

"No" said Lars shooting down her suggestion,

"Why not!?" demanded Clara angry as she crossed her arms,

"She is no good for him" said Lars,

"And how do you know that? Have you ever even spoken to her? Do you even know her to make such a judgement?" demanded Clara,

"No, but",

"No buts Lars, you cannot make an opinion about somebody without knowing them Lars" said Clara,

"Look you just have to trust me on this" said Lars,

"I trust you... that your being a complete idiot" said Clara and with that she left, he was lucky this time, had she had a book she would have smashed it over his head for being an idiot.

* * *

Advice was priceless even now more than ever as Elsa walked around the armory room.

When she challanged the Fateweavers for a duel she knew it would not be easy and in truth she did not wanted it to be this way.

But the fateweavers and their relictance to talk or even let Elsa help was more than enough to push her over the edge.

Hans was in danger, he could be hurt or wasting away for all Elsa knew and the Fateweavers were more busy protecting their secrets than helping.

"Some friends and family they are" scoffed Elsa angry before focusing back on the weapons.

The weapons were unusual to say the least, there were the typical guns and swords, but among them were every day items such as canes, fans, umbrellas, mirrors, shoes, among others.

It made Elsa scratch her head in confusion as she did not know why these items were there as she searched for a weapons to use in the challange.

As she reached for a saber sword she jumped several feet in the air when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Turning she was hoping to see Albert who was supposed to standing watch outside of the armory but it was not.

Elsas eyes widen as she recognized it was the same dark stranger she saw weeks ago.

How was he there?! Albert was standing outside watching, unless he let this person in.

"Hello? Can I help you?" asked Elsa, the man back away, giving her space.

Elsa waited, no answer before finally asking "I don't suppose that you can recommend a good weapon for me"

The man stared, remaining silent before turning and walking away scanning through the various weapons before reaching and grabbing an umbrella.

It was old fashion, nice white fabric with some lace decorating it, the handle was beautifully decorated with saphire color jewels.

Turning he held it to her.

Elsa confused grabbed the umbrella and stared down at it baffled.

An umbrella? He suggests she goes out and face Agathe who was stronger than her with a flimsy umbrella?!

Looking up she was going to demand if this was some kind of joke, but much to her shock, the stranger was gone.

How did he go? Where did he go? She did not hear him leave and she was sure he did not disappear into thin air.

Looking back at the umbrella Elsa noticed something odd about it, it was heavy, too heavy for an umbrella.

Moving it around in a circular motion she heard a metalic sound coming from it, it was the sound tiny chains made when moved.

Curious Elsa opened the umbrella, when she did she felt a shiver go down her spine, her heart beats fasten. Her magic, it was reacting to this umbrella. Then it was as if this was not an umbrella, it was her umbrella.

Closing it Elsa decided this was definetly not a normal umbrella, it was something else.

"Queen Elsa, did you choose your weapon?" She heard Albert call from outside.

Looking back at the umbrella she nodded before leaving with it.

Walking out Elsa looked at Albert who was confused for a moment.

"Was there somebody in there when you walked in?" he asked,

"What do you mean? It was you who let somebody in" said Elsa,

"I did not let anybody in, I have been standing here alone" said Albert confused.

At this Elsas eyes widen, if Albert did not let anybody in, then how did the stranger get in the room with her.

"This is getting strange" though Elsa before she heard.

"Are you ready?", turning her head Elsa saw it was Agathe, the one who she was going to fight.

Taking a breath Elsa stood tall and nodded.

"Good" said Agathe as she turned and walked leading Elsa to the training room where they would battle.

"All I can say is, I am sorry it had to come to this" said Agathe,

"Don't be, unlike you I have my priorities straight" Elsa replied back as she gripped the umbrella, it was now or never.

* * *

The training room was empty, the equipment and everything else had been put away for the magical battle which was going to take place. As Elsa walked in, dressed in her training clothes, umbrella in hand, she stared down at Agathe who wore what she normally wore, had a rose in her hand.

Elsa gripped on her umbrella, something told her that rose was no ordinary rose, turning they looked at Merlin, the oldest of the group, he would be supervising the fight.

"This a magical challenge, a battle between the two, as rules not one of you will kill one another, both of you will only have one weapon, the fight will end when one of you two gives up or is unable to fight, the victor is the one left standing" said Merlin then looked at the two "Am I clear?",

"Yes" said Agathe,

"Yes" said Elsa,

"There is still a chance to back away, if you want to speak now" said Merlin, looking more towards Elsa then Agathe. That made Elsa angry, it was as if they were already sure she was going to loose before she begins.

"Stop! Please!" they heard, looking they saw Rohan and Marius stand up from balcony above the training room where they and the other fateweavers were going to be watching the fight.

"Agathe, we cannot allow this, this has gone too far" pleaded Rohan,

"There has to be a limit, surely we can trust Elsa enough" said Marius,

"No! Our priorities is to protect the balance of the world and the Underground kingdom" shouted Agathe before starring at Elsa, her eyes turned ice as she heard that, it just further proved what she did not want to accept.

"Thank you Agathe... I will make sure Hans knows when I see him again" said Elsa, it was cruel, but she hoped, begged, that maybe hearing that would force Agathe to help.

It seemed to do the trick as for a moment Agathe seemed to hesitate, her eyes shone with tears, but just as quickly she blinked them away and gripped the rose, it grew and turned into a thorny staff.

Elsa held up the umbrella, she opened it, once she did she felt little currents of shock go pass her arm and heart, it was as if something was connecting with her, it seemed so as the umbrella changed a bit, the handle turned to ice, fabric turned ice blue while the lace decorating it turned to frost. She felt her magic hum, as if the weapon, her magic and even herself became one.

Merlin backed away, he knew neither would back away so he vanished and reappeared on the balcony to watch the fight.

Once out of the way Agathe slammed the staff on the ground, the rose staff vines shot forward, trying to ensnare Elsa, acting quick Elsa shot ice to the ground before skating around, dodging the vines, throwing her arm at Agathe she shot shards of ice only for Agathe to shoot a potent ray of light causing them to melt before they even hit her.

Shooting again Elsa was too slow to react and got hit in her shoulder, she screamed as the ray burned her shoulder badly, she held it as she tried to hold back the pain. It was obvious Agathe did it to scare her, not intended to seriously harm her for if she did not she would have attacked again.

Forcing herself up Elsa turned and stared at Agathe, her eyes lit up in fury before she shot again, opening the umbrella Elsa hid behind it, much to her surprise the light was deflected as she umbrella worked as a shield and protected her.

"Wow" though Elsa impressed, seems the umbrella was the right choice.

Moving Agathe ran over, this time more aggressive she threw a punch, only for Elsa to close the umbrella, turn and slam it against Agathe, sending her crashing to the side.

Taking advantage of her being down Elsa punched, kicked, slammed the umbrella against Agathe, she wanted to do it as hard as possible to make sure she stayed down, for if she got up this fight was going to get worse.

Pausing for a moment Elsa breathed as she stared, getting up Agathe touched her cheek, it was bleeding a bit, Elsa pointed at her with the umbrella, "Stay down" ordered Elsa, only to be blasted away by light.

Holding her hand against her face Elsa was temporary blinded by it as her eyesight became blurry, taking advantage of that Agathe got up and attacked, she punched and kicked hard.

Gagging and gasping Elsa fell to the ground, she was badly hurt, she was bruised and was sure she had broken a rib or two, then reacted and rolled away as Agathe was going to stomp on her.

Getting back on her feet Elsa held up her umbrella, pointing at Agathe, stumbling and gasping, trying to steady herself.

"I don't understand, you claim you love Hans like a son... I saw it...yet you just... I don't understand Agathe..why?" said Elsa trying to understand what she could not.

"Because...its your own fault" said Agathe before summoning and throwing a strong ray of light, opening the umbrella Elsa shielded herself but struggled as Agathe intensified the power, Elsa strained against it, the air hummed all around from the power, her grip slipping.

Tightening her grip around the handle of the umbrella Elsa channeled her magic throw it, she could feel it forming and fighting against Agathes magic, but it was not strong enough, Agathe was far too powerful.

Closing her eyes Elsa focused on her emotions, from early on she was aware that her emotions fed her magic, hence why she did not feel, why she concealed for so long, but right now she needed to feel, she needed to feed her magic so she can have a chance to beat Agathe, so she reached deep within herself, her memories, gave herself so many reasons to not give up.

Her arms began to hurt as she held it, then she felt strangely numb, the area grew quiet then all of a sudden she felt herself be pushed back a couple of feet as there was a burst of power, it coursed through her arm, the umbrella before exploding out and going through the ray of light.

Panicking Agathe jumped aside as the ice magic went at her in explosive quantities, it slammed against the wall.

Exhausted Elsa stared at the end result, everybody went quiet and stared, the ice covered the area and wall, but what happened next showed them, whatever the ice covered, it cracked before breaking into many tiny pieces which were picked up by the wind.

Their eyes widen, they had seen Elsas magic, it was supposed to be solid, not break like that, if they did not know any better, it was as if Elsa had used fire and turned the wall to ash.

As soon as they though that fear ran through their minds as they stared at a terrified Agathe, mentally begging her to stay down and give up.

Pointing the umbrella again, a bit out of breath Elsa warned "The next time I won't miss... tell me the truth... now".

Knowing when to give up Agathe nodded in fear, she... they... would tell Elsa the truth.

* * *

Loneliness, it was what Hans felt while he was in the Southern isles palace, other than Clara he had nobody else to talk to, not even the Will o wisps who he sent away back to his home where they would be safe as the Shadow demons enjoy tormenting the poor wisps whenever they found one. So as much as Hans did not wanted, their safety was his priority.

Walking to the room Lars gave him Hans sat down on the bed to think, he desperately wanted to escape, he had tried so many times, each one ended in a failure and security increasing, he was not even let outside.

Rubbing his hands through his hair Hans sighted trying to figure out another plan of escape before he felt a blinding pain on his shoulder, clutching it Hans yelled as he fell to the ground, soon afterwards there was more pain, it was on different parts of his body even his face, but then the worst pain came, it was on his lower back, it did more than hurt, it burned his very being, he felt it spreading through his body.

He bit his lips trying not to scream as he shook and convulsed on the ground, then after what seemed like forever the pain stopped leaving behind a dull ache and weakness.

Never had Hans felt so weak and drained before. Moving Hans tried to get up but found himself unable to, resting back down he though "Just a minute, will rest a minute" before losing consciousness.

* * *

Clutching the umbrella Elsa stood before the Fateweavers, waiting as she looked between the group waiting for them to speak. Finally Agathe spoke, she was sad, like a mother who was afraid.

"I am sorry, but things are not how you think it is, we are not evil or cruel" said Agathe then added her voice cracking a bit "I do love Hans, he has been like a son to me since he came to my life, I am willing to do anything to keep him safe, even if it means he will hate me for the rest of his life",

"I don't understand" said Elsa, they were making no sense, they spoke one thing, the evidence she saw said another, what was the truth?!

"When fire gives birth to ice, darkness will follow when a lover betrays, the Underground kingdoms fall will be assured" said Agathe then sighted "Hans was born in the year without summer, it was caused when a volcano exploded",

"Fire gave birth to ice" muttered Elsa then said "It was no coincidence that Hans ran into you when he was a child right?",

"No, I was not exactly sure, but I suspected, that's why I put that test, so I could be sure" said Agathe then continued "When I was sure, I... we... wanted to make sure the prophecy did not happened",

"Because the prophecy fits the past of the phoenixes... right?" said Elsa,

"Yes so you have to understand, we-",

"No, because your wrong" interrupted Elsa interrupting, before they could say anything further Elsa moved her hair, whipping some ice she had covered it in to reveal the strand of auburn red hair, she had it covered with ice making it look silvery white to hide it as she and Hans wanted the group to be comfortable with the idea of them being together before telling them.

But now they had to know, they had to see they were wrong,

"Hans told me that us having a strand of each others hair color is a sign of how pure our vow and bond is, we love one another and this is proof that neither he or I will be betraying one another" said Elsa as she put her hair behind her ear.

There was silence, but Elsa knew that she had proven to them that they were wrong in their assumption of her and Hans being the betrayal lover, so after taking a breath she said "What is Lars?",

"He is a fateweaver, but we are forbidden to talk about him... while Hans is rebirth, Lars is damnation.. Hans is the phoenix, Lars is his shadow" said Merlin,

"Is he evil?" asked Elsa,

"Pardon?" asked Merlin,

"Is he evil? Is that why you don't talk about him?; Why the mausoleum is sealed?" said Elsa,

"Listen you have to understand we-",

"No, you all don't know! Your all just making assumptions without facts!" said Elsa then gestured at herself "If Lars was evil he would have attacked and killed all of us during the party! He did not! He only attacked when he was pushed!",

"Elsa, you don't know, the reason we did not wanted you to be involved is because we plan to kill him" said Merlin,

"NO! That's not the answer" argued Elsa "He is not evil, there is nothing that shows he is evil",

"So what do you suggest we do?" said Agathe sighting, seeing that she was wrong, she was more than willing to listen as maybe Elsa had the right solutions,

"I am going to do something you all never though of doing..." said Elsa she took a breath before saying "I am going to talk to him"

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_

 _ **Fun fact, the umbrella weapon was inspired by an actual umbrella Queen Victoria owned. It was made for her after one of her assassination attempts, it looked like a regular umbrella but underneath the satin covers and lace was metal and such. If she used it nobody knows.**_

 _ **Seems part of the mystery was solved, but its not over yet. Elsa will try to reach out to Lars, will he let her? We shall see... but either way I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review to tell me what you think.**_


	34. Chapter 34

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

 _Saying nothing Hans allowed Agathe take him back to the hut. Once there she set him down gently, there were no words exchanged as Hans expected her to yell at him, to scold him for running away, but she said nothing, sighting Hans decided to get it over with and said "I am sorry",_

 _"Sorry?" asked Agathe sounding confused as she turned and stared at him,_

 _"For running away... I just wanted to go home..." said Hans then shook his head "You were right, about everything, there was nothing for me to return to, no home, no anything and my family... they are no family",_

 _"I see" said Agathe crossing her arms,_

 _"I am sorry, I promise I have learned my lesson" said Hans honestly, being outside, seeing what he saw and meeting the people, it was a big eye opener for him, it made him think about others and how he had been acting, he was no better than his brothers back then and he would have continued down that path had this not happened to him, but knowing what he knew now he vowed never to go down that path again._

 _"I know" said Agatha smiling a bit "Your proved it when you saved that family and your friend H.C",_

 _"I wait... how do you know?" asked Hans shocked,_

 _"I was there, always there watching" said Agathe,_

 _"You were?! But if you were how come you did not let me know?!",_

 _"Because if I had you would not have achieved what you have! This was a journey you had to take on your own for you to become who you were meant to be" said Agathe._

 _"I do not understand" said Hans confused,_

 _"Your true form is complete" said Agathe "Your now a phoenix",_

 _"A what?" asked Hans baffled, him? No! It could not be! He had heard of that from Lars in the past, it was a bird of fire which symbolized rebirth, but it was just a story, something made up...Right?_

 _"You heard child" said Agathe "Your a phoenix, of the Fateweavers, one of us"._

 _Hans at first looked exited but then frowned and said "Does that mean... I will be a bird forever?"._

 _To this Agathe said nothing as she walked over and tapped him on the head with her index finger._

 _When she did Hans felt strange, different, reaching he felt his forehead only to be shocked to find a hand, not a wing._

 _Shocked he looked over himself to find he was not a bird anymore, he was back to being a human child._

 _"What? How?" asked Hans as he looked over himself in shock, it was then he noticed a strange cloak wrapped around him and a necklace._

 _Taking the necklace he looked over it, it was a ruby in shape of a tear drop, when he touched it it began to glow, had a strange energy sensating and warmth, almost like a heart._

 _"Thats your soulstone, care to never loose it or fall into the hands of others... for should it ever break you will die" said Agathe,_

 _"And come back?",_

 _"No, breaking the stone will signify your permenant death" said Agathe,_

 _"Okay" said Hans softly._

* * *

 _It was the finals, 7 year old Hans breathed as he walked over to the school headmaster. After arriving to the Underground Agathe began to teach him magic and allsorts of things. The first being of course how to change to his human form, which Hans was delighted to turn back to a human boy, though it left him with a huge red hooded cloak with gold fire motifs on it that he had to carry around at all times._

 _Hans did asked if he could have a smaller cloak, but Agathe simply said he would grow into it and that he could not loose it as it is what enables him to change back and forth between his human and Firebird/Phoenix form, Hans hopes he does grow into the cloak as he always ends up tripping because of it and carrying it around on a bag can prove to be quite chore._

 _Once he mastered some he was sent to school, he had hoped there were other Fateweavers his age, but sadly that was not the case as all of them were much much older than he was, if fact he heard Merlin complain about how Fate seems to be choosing younger people now a days as it seems that Hans was the youngest ever chosen at the time._

 _Once in school he struggled, his magic was very different from everybody else, destructive, so much so that others began to avoid him in fear of getting hurt, which left Hans feeling alone at times._

 _Sighting Hans arrived at the office where the headmaster was, for a moment he hesitated outside, the Headmaster was as old as dirt and as sour as a green lemon and God knows he is always in a bad mood. Then again that is expected when you have been around since the dawn of time... literally..._

 _Opening the door Hans entered the room and closed it._

 _The man stood there, he was old, grumpy, did not look like the kind of person who would liven up a party... if anything your more likely to find him in a funeral... or maybe he was the funeral director... maybe..._

 _He grunted and said while pushing his glasses closer "Hans?",_

 _"Yes?" asked Hans hopeful,_

 _"You failed" said the man,_

 _"What? Why?!" asked Hans shocked,_

 _"Must you ask?" Said the man in a voice that said I am too old for this before adding "You don't have disciplin, you have not mastered magic for beginners magic and most importantly you have no control of your magic!",_

 _"I do so!" complained Hans,_

 _"All the classrooms you burned say otherwise" said the man deadpanned making Hans wince a bit, it was not his fault what happened, he did not meant to burn them down, its just that every time he used his magic it came out in huge amounts or bursts._

 _"No! I am not! I can prove it!" begged Hans before running over grabbing the man and tugging him outside._

 _"Let go of me! Your crazy!" yelled the man, Hans pay no attention as he was desperate to prove him wrong, so he continued to tug and pull, dragging the man till he was outside, once outside Hans removed his gloves and walked over to a garden which was recently planted and placed his hands on it._

 _"Hans, no, don't!" yelled the man horrified,_

 _"I can do this! Watch" said Hans before he breathed and let his magic loose and as expected fire came out and burned the garden to ashes._

 _The man looked furious, it took everything he had not to throttle Hans for his disobedience while Hans looked confused at his hands "it should have worked" he whispered,_

 _"My point taken, you fail" said the Headmaster quite angry as he turned to leave._

 _"No, I can do this! Please let me try again!" Begged Hans as he grabbed his arm only for the school master to yank it away angrily and growl "No you cannot" then paused before adding "Fate made mistake when it chose you to be the next Phoenix"._

 _Whimpering Hans backed away before facing the burned down garden then whispering "I know I can do this... Fate chose me for a reason" before closing his eyes and trying again._

 _Pressig his hands on the ground he concentrated, he felt strangely calm as he allowed the magic to flow through his body and do what it must._

 _Soon golden flames appeared and spread through the area, but instead of destruction, they restored, the garden rose from the ashes, flowers grew and bloomed beautifully, the vegetables burst from the ground packed full of bounty and the trees rose to the sky, its leaves lush and green, covered with beautiful flowers._

 _Having stopped to say something else to Hans the Headmaster found the words unable to come out as he stared in shock at the restored garden._

 _Getting up Hans smiled at the result, feeling proud of himself for achieving what he set out to do. Baffled the Headmaster walked over and touched the flowers "I don't believe this..."._

* * *

Opening his eyes Hans groaned a bit he came too, turning to the side his winced feeling a bit of pain before forcing himself up, taking slow and deep breaths Hans looked at the clock,

"An hour?" muttered Hans as he rubbed his hand over his face "Felt like an eternity, but what a strange dream".

It was strange, Why was he remembering that time? Not that he did not want to, he always loved to remember the time he performed that magic, but sadly it was the only time he did.

After that time his magic began to behave differently, it did not flow so freely and at times he had to force it leaving him feeling drained and week, over time he grew accustomed to it and it made him stronger as with practice and time he was able to perform magic without feeling fatigued, but for the life of him he could never figure out why his magic behave the way it did.

"Everything has a reason" muttered Hans to himself, but the question was, what was the reason behind it.

Careful Hans walked slowly, still feeling weak and as he left his room he ran into Clara,

"Hello your majesty, was just going to check on you" she said,

"Its Hans please" said Hans,

"Alright Hans" said Clara then gestured out of the hall "I talked to Lars and he agreed to give you some time to walk outside so long as your escorted",

"Thanks" grumbled Hans angrily, not angry with Clara, if anything he is glad she is there, but with Lars. Nodding Clara lead him to a door, there were shadow demons watching the door, seeing they allowed them leave, but followed them around.

When the door opened Hans sighted, taking a deep breath of fresh air, he could smell the sea mixed with some flowers that was in the garden, the sunlight blinded him a bit, but he welcomed it as he felt the chill leaving him as soon as the sunlight hit him.

Walking around Clara showed him around, talking about this and that, soon as they walked he noticed a window, the curtains were open, there was nobody, but Hans knew better. Lars was there... watching them.

"Clara" began Hans,

"Yes?" asked Clara,

"I have been wondering for a while, how did you and Lars met?" Hans asked after a while, it was clear that Lars and Clara were close, much much closer than a employer should be with an employee.

"Oh, well" said Clara hesitating, she rubbed her arm before saying "It was years ago, I lived with my father, he was a drunk, got worse when my mother and grandmother passed away",

"I am sorry" said Hans,

"Its okay, it was a long time ago" said Clara then continued with her story "It was new years eve, my father sent me to sell matches, threatening to beat me if I did not sell them all" she looked down "I was unable to sell any" swallowing she hesitated before continuing "I did not return home, out of desperation I used the matches, I was so sure that I was going to die as I began to hallucinate, I saw a lit stove, a beautiful dinner, a Christmas tree and lastly my grandmother..." shaking her head "The next thing I knew everything went dark",

"What happened after that?" asked Hans softly, feeling sorry for her,

"I woke up in a room, Lars had found me and saved me" said Clara,

"I am sorry" said Hans,

"Don't be, it was the best thing that ever happened to me, I have food, clothes, small luxuries, but most importantly somebody who I care and cares about me" said Clara then added looking up at the window Hans had been initially seeing "He is not a bad man, he makes mistakes, but means well",

"I don't know about that" said Hans looking away,

"I don't blame you, I know its too much to ask for you and he to make amends, but what I hope is that at least you can forgive him as living with that anger will hurt and damage you more than you think" said Clara and with that they continued their walk, but Hans had a lot to think about.

* * *

"Red, I had red hair once" though Lars as he looked at an old portrait of himself, he was dressed in what was back then his favorite clothes, blue and green were his favorite colors, holding a book.

Growling in anger Lars grabbed the portrait and ripped it apart, he always hated himself back then, his old self was a selfish coward, the very though of what he had once been always sent Lars on a rage.

That was not him, this was who he was, he was dark, firm handed and in his mind just, there was nothing could change his mind about that. Turning Lars walked away to the nearest fireplace where he dumped the already torn to shreds portrait and watched it burn.

With his anger satisfied Lars went to attend to his duties before trying again to talk to Hans, which so far has been unsuccessful, but he was glad that he was at least talking to Clara, not that she will tell him what they talk about as Clara was not one to break anybody's trust.

Taking a seat Lars looked over the documents which were placed on his desk, the first few were proposals which some he denied and others approved, invitations to some parties around the isles, the last letter peeked his interest.

The first thing he noticed was the seal on the back of the envelope, it was the crocus of Arendelle,

"Queen Elsa" muttered Lars angrily before opening the letter and reading it as he was curious to see what she wanted to say.

 _"To King Lars Westergaard of the Southern Isles;_

 _I hope I am addressing you correctly, if not then feel free to let me know. Lets first start with an apology, I apologize for my brazen behavior, you are right, I did not ask for your permission in regards of whether or not I can marry your brother, it was very insensitive of me and I admit that if it was me in your shoes I too would have been less than pleased. I would like, with your permission, to start over, would you please allow me to visit the Isles so we can sit down and talk things over? Maybe with time we can get a better understanding of one another as we are strangers to one another. If not then I would kindly ask you to reconsider, as I do want to make amends for what happened._

 _Sincerely Queen Elsa of Arendelle"_

Lars eyes widen as he read that letter over and over, why was she writing this to him? what was her motive?, with a swift move he ripped the letter to shreds before tossing it to the nearest bin, if she though he would be fooled she was sadly mistaking.

He was no fool as he was sure that Elsa was doing that to gain access to the palace so she could plot on how to get his brother, well it would take a lot more than a letter to put the blinders over his eyes.

Grabbing a paper and pen Lars wrote a couple of choice words to respond to the letter before sealing it and having a shadow demon deliver it.

"That's that" though Lars stubbornly.

* * *

It would not take long, that was what Elsa though as she waited, her letter had arrived, she was sure as she asked a will o wisp to deliver it... after a lot of coaxing as not one of the poor wisps wanted to run into a shadow demon, not that she blamed them as the last time she ran into one it was not good.

Turning her head she looked at pages in the desk, the lost, ripped pages of the Book of the History of the Phoenix. Taking them she looked over them, unlike the bright and colorful pages of the phoenixes, these ones had dark and somber colors. The front page was a person with a dark hooded cloak, a sickle with a chain attached to it on one hand and a large raven bird on the other.

It said:

 _"Where there is light there is darkness, the symbol of darkness, shadow, chaos and damnation, the shadow of the phoenix is not to be trifled with. Armed with a weapon of death, chains to enslave you and shadow demons as servants, when seen means a fate worse than death. Unlike the Phoenix who is always a redeemable person chosen, the Shadow of the Phoenix is somebody who committed an unforgivable act yet is remorseful of it"_

Elsa frowned, she could understand why they were so afraid and acted why they did, it did not help that she knew that Lars was likely chosen because he killed Hans and he was remorseful of it... yet it seems that a lot of what the Fateweavers though was just because he was dark that he was evil, but it was quite obvious that they do not know much or have enough information to make anything concrete or have an opinion. But Elsa was determined to break that mold, to solve the mystery once and for all.

Suddenly there was a rustle, turning Elsa found a letter on her desk,

"That was not there" though Elsa as she took the letter, turning it she saw it was from the isles, Lars had answered.

So opening the letter Elsa read it, a frown appeared on her face as she read.

 _"Queen Elsa of Arendelle:_

 _I read your letter and my answer is quite clear, it is no and it will remain a no, nothing you or your friends do will change my mind"_

He did not bother to finish the letter as he got his point across. To Elsa this was disappointing, but she did not give up, giving how not much time passed she was sure that he was still mistrustful about her and her intentions, so if she continued and did not give up, in time Lars may allow her to visit.

Closing her eyes Elsa gave a silent prayer, it was for Hans to hang on, she knew he would be okay as Lars would not hurt his brother, but she still could not help but worry. Something inside her told her that something was wrong and that she needed to find Hans. But there was nothing she could do, but send letters and hope that Lars would change his mind.

* * *

With lantern in hand a figure walked towards the woods in the Underground Kingdom, stopping the figure who was Rohan hesitated a bit before looking back and thinking. With Hans and Elsa not being the betrayed lovers, to him it became obvious who the betrayer lover was.

"Sylvia, please, let me find you, please it cannot be you" Rohan though before pulling his hood more over his face before venturing into the woods, the light of the lantern was seen briefly through the trees before vanishing.

* * *

 ** _To be continued..._**

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_

 _ **Fun fact: Lars if I had to describe what kind of Fateweaver he is, he is and has the role of Hades in the original myths of ancient Greece. His job is to go around and collecting evil souls, spirits, ect, to make sure their not let loose into the world and cause chaos. Also like the original Hades, Lars is a Fateweaver that is not talked about, for associating with him is seen as the equivalent of associating with evil even if he himself is not evil.**_

 _ **And that's a wrap for now. Elsa is in a very delicate situation and because of that she is going for the peacemaker rout, because she does not want Lars hurt, in a way she can understand his actions and she also knows that even though Hans is angry at Lars, he would never wish his death. But the question on whether Lars will allow Elsa to visit the Southern Isles or not will be unknown... for now. But for now I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and stay tuned for the next chapter as things are about to take a turn.**_


	35. Chapter 35

**_Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better._**

 ** _Yubima-chan: Its true, the Fateweavers are drawing conclusions from things they don't really know about. But hopefully soon they will get their facts straight as nothing is what it seems and their actions may have done more harm than good. As for the parasol or umbrella, you shall see. ;)_**

 ** _Dreamsandimaginations: Lol yes, Lars is book smart but when it comes to people he is not that smart. I am glad you like Clara and maybe what you said will happen, but I won't say more as it would be huge spoilers._**

 ** _Darkphoenix: That is very true, but remember Elsa has to think about her people as well, she has no idea what Lars is capable off, not even the Fateweavers know for sure, so Elsa will not go down the fighting route unless its a last resort as she does not want anybody harmed._**

 ** _guest: You have no idea.. and its going to get a whole lot worse before it gets any better. :(_**

 _ **A**_ _ **ny way, hope you all enjoy this new chapter of the firebird, read on and please remember to leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Light tinks were heard as Lars chain moved a bit with him. Saying nothing Lars looked around the palace of the Southern isles, looking for Hans whom he had not seen all day.

Yes, he knew his brother was inside the palace as there was no way for him to escape , but regardless Lars was going to find him as he wanted to try to a talk with him...calmly.

Already he had checked the library, studies, gardens, everywhere he could think off before checking on the least frequented parts of the castle.

Sure enough after searching one of the towers Lars found Hans there.

He was just sitting against the window of the tower, looking out, there was a deep sense of melancholy surrounds Hans as he looked outside towards the horizon where the sun was setting.

Lars shook his head before walking over, presenting a plate with a sanwhich as he was made aware by Clara Hans huge dislike of cookies.

"I though you might be hungry" said Lars "I hope you still like garlax... if not maybe we can go downstairs and get something you will like".

Hans turned his head to face him, when he did it took everything Lars had not to show worry.

He looked the same, same chin, same face, same hair, but his eyes, it was what troubles Lars the most.

They were green as always, but empty and cold, as if something was missing or he in a way lost himself.

Not responding at all Hans turned and went back to looking out the window.

Saying nothing Lars turned and left, as he walked down the tower his mind was frantic and desperate.

When Hans arrived he yelled and argued, fighting him every step of the way, but as days passed Lars noticed a profound change in Hans, he no longer argued or spoke, at times he rarely ventured out of his room along with the fact that Lars was made aware by a shadow demon that Hans barely ate or slept. This troubled Lars a lot, so much so that if he had to choose between how Hans was when he arrived and this one... he preferred the old one, for despite the fact that the old Hans was difficult and yelled, he had life while this one was like a draugr, just doing things and nothing more.

But what can he do? What can he do to get Hans out of that depression?

"Maybe I- NO! I cannot let Elsa and his so called friends near my brother! They will just hurt him if I do" though Lars determined but still could not ignore the sense of guilt over his brothers misery, but resolved to do what he had to to protect him, even if it meant having him hate Lars for the rest of his life.

"I am sorry brother, but this is for your own good" though Lars.

* * *

Night had arrived, it was a cool one, moonless, perfect for sleeping, but Elsa found herself unable to. As she lay down in her bed starring up at the ceiling Elsa tossed and turned trying to get comfortable to sleep, failing completely.

It has been like this for weeks, unable to sleep and it was taking a toll on Elsa as she could barely concentrate even her moods have been more erratic as she would snap at the smallest things or get mad for no apparent reason. Then there was this heat, at times it was as if she was being boiled alive in a pot of hot water, so much so that she would have to change clothes and take baths more frequently as her clothes and hair would get drenched with sweat.

Why? Elsa was not sure. But she wondered, did it had anything to do with Hans not being near her? or is it something he is going through? Elsa was not sure, she just continued to hope and pray that Lars would change his mind as she continued to reach out to him through letters non stop.

Yes, she could have gone and demanded Lars to give him back, but she could not, she had no idea the kind of power Lars had, not even the Fateweavers are sure they can take him on, so it was best to avoid going down that rout unless its a last resort. In fact she even had to ban Anna from going into any travel when she discovered her sisters very poorly though plan about going to the Southern isles, confronting Lars and giving him a good choice of "words" which Elsa was sure that Anna was going to punch him.

"I really don't want that to happen as the last thing we need is a war on our hands against something equivalent to death" though Elsa before giving up on trying to sleep and getting up.

Tired she rubbed her hands against her face before getting up, hoping that a quick walk would tire her out enough for her to fall asleep at some point. With that in mind she left the room and walked around the dark corridors of Arendelle, enjoying the silence and the coolness she felt on her feet as she walked around the wooden boards.

Suddenly her ears picked up a noise, foot steps? At first Elsa shrugged them off as her own but soon found that they were not hers, they were extras.

"Remain calm, probably a guard" though Elsa as she tried to remain composed and calm, but soon she heard door slamming shut, they kept coming closer and closer, till the one she was passing by slammed shut without warning or anybody to close it.

At that moment Elsas walk turned to a full sprint as she ran down the hallway, her heart going a mile a minute as she screamed and ran only to slam against a door which closed in front of her face. Grabbing the handles she shook and yelled trying to get it open before freezing when she felt a breath in her neck.

Shaking, her hairs standing up, Elsa closed her eyes as she mentally prayed over and over then all of a sudden she felt a pair of hands grab her wrists, followed by burning pain then nothing...

Nothing but darkness...

* * *

Swish swish was heard as Clara made her way up to Hans room. Her being the only one he allowed to get close to him and who he trusted.

Arriving to the door Clara knocked on the door,

"Your majesty its time to get up" said Clara as she knocked again.

She waited, there was no answer, she knocked on the door again before opening the door.

"Your majesty?" She asked as she peeked into the room.

Everything seemed in order, the furniture, rug, artwork, till she got a closer look and found Hans was not in bed.

"Your majesty?" she called again unsure as she walked in and looked around only to gasp in horror as she found Hans laying face down inside the fireplace.

"Hans!" yelled Clara horrified as she ran over and fell to his side.

Placing her hands on his arm she shivered, his skin was cold, clammy, wet with cold sweat, it was as if she touching a fish straight out of a lake not a person.

Rubbing her hands a bit Clara tried again, succeding in pulling him out of the fireplace and turning him so he was laying on his back before checking him.

She was relieved he was alive and breathing, but his eyes terrified her. They were completly glazed over, as if he was not there.

"Hans, Hans, are you okay? Whats wrong?" asked Clara with panic as she turned and held his head so he was looking at her.

Hans did not respond for a good 5 minutes and when he did Clara got even more worried with what he said.

"Cold... so cold... don't know why" he answered fragmentally.

In panic Clara gently set Hans head down before leaving the room in a hurry, calling for help before coming back to the room with some shadow demons who helped Hans get him in bed.

"Cold..." he whispered again as Clara pulled the covers over him,

"Its okay, we will get you warm" said Clara as she put more blankets and sheets, trying to get Hans warm before going to make fire in the fireplace when a doctor arrived and began to examine Hans.

"What's wrong?" asked Lars worried as he arrived, upon looking at Lars his eyes widen in fear when he saw Hans laying there on the bed shivering weakly, eyes glazed over, his skin the same color of ash.

Walking over to Hans Lars ran his hands through his brothers hair, it was wet from sweat, his forehead was cold. The doctor examined Hans and was baffled, he was cold, did not seem to be responding to anything, why he could not explain.

Angry Lars yelled "Well find somebody who can explain!" before sending the doctor away who was more than happy to leave in one piece as everybody was terrified of Lars... and for good reason... except for that servant of his Clara... who people think she is either incredibly brave or stupid to face Lars on a daily basis.

Turning Lars went to his office to research on some medical books in hopes of finding out what is wrong with Hans only to open the door to find himself face to face with Clara, who looked less than happy.

"Clara?" asked Lars only to grow pale when she lifted up the dreaded French encyclopedia and smack him on top of the head with it. Yelling Lars staggered back before running away with Clara running after him, smacking him repeatedly over the head with the book.

"Should we help?" asked a shadow demon as the group watched Lars be chased and smacked by Clara,

"And deal with an angry Clara? I am not that crazy" answered another followed by a loud yell.

Gasping and breathing in anger Clara pointed her book at Lars who was cornered before saying "You...I had enough of your foolishness",

"Clara" began Lars,

"You will shut up and listen to me well Lars! I don't know what prompted you to do this, but your so called best is hurting I even dare say killing your brother!" yelled Clara angry "I will not stand by and watch you continue so I will give you a choice! Either you let Hans go or I sware I will find a way to free him and once I do you will never see any of us again!",

"Clara, no, please be reasonable!" began Lars trying to calm Clara down, but she was livid,

"No! Your the one who has to be reasonable!" yelled Clara "At least talk to Elsa! If she was what you though she was she would have barged in and demanded Hans back, which she has not! Because somehow despite your attitude and disrespect towards her she respects you! So stop this madness and make peace because its no coincidence Hans got sick now... and to be frank I am more than willing to bet that Elsa will be the only one who can help him get better"

Having said her piece Clara left Lars to think, but she hoped that he did as she told him or else she will make true to her threat and do whatever it takes to help Hans escape.

* * *

Gasping and gagging Elsa sat up quickly, scanning around in panic for her attacker, but found no attacker and... she was in a beach?

"Beach?" asked Elsa as she buried her hands into the sand, wondering if it was a dream, but it was not a dream as she could feel the warm sand between her fingers which left these questions in her mind "Where was she? and how did she got there?".

Slowly getting up Elsa looked around before finding her umbrella weapon next to her,

"How did this got here?" though Elsa confused as she was sure she left it in her room, taking it Elsa turned and inspected it, yes it was her umbrella.

Opening it she found a paper fell down, confused Elsa picked it up, written on it was a strange language (Hieroglyphs), they shifted and changed till they formed a message Elsa could read, it said "Save him" before the paper burst to flames causing Elsa to drop it.

Starring at the no longer existing letter Elsa felt dread, the who and how was completely forgotten as she got the message, Hans was in some form of danger and she had to find him.

With umbrella in hand Elsa waved her magic, changing her ice nightdress into a proper day dress before working on her hair and leaving the beach in search of the nearest town where she can hopefully catch a boat to the Southern isles as it was clear that she could no longer wait till Lars gave her permission to visit.

* * *

Gone, that though ran through Lars head over and over as he paced about the office. After Claras rant Lars found himself agreeing, the fact that Hans got sick was not coincidence and as much as he wanted to deny it... he needed Elsas help...

So he sent the shadow demons to pick Elsa up only for them to report that she is not in Arendelle, which makes Lars wonder, if she was not in Arendelle then where was she?!

"Where is she?!" growled Lars, his eyes turning gray in anger before he breathed to calm himself, he needed to keep his head.

"Calm, breath, no need to loose your head" though Lars like a mantra then noticed a shadow demon flying over, seemed meek, scared,

"What?!" demanded Lars making it wince before flying over and whispering its discovery to him,

"She is here?! In the Southern isles?! How?!" demanded Lars, the shadow demon coward before saying "Not know",

"Fine! Whatever, just bring her here...don't hurt her or anything" warned Lars before sending it away, marching over to a seat he collapsed on it, letting it take his weight as he breathed.

Moving Lars winced before reaching to his back and taking out his weapon, a sickle and chain attached to it, a black gem attacked to the sickle, it gave off a grayish purple glow, stroking it Lars though back... back when he took this job.

* * *

 _"You had enough" Lars heard, but just barely. Lifting his head he stared blankly at the bartender, heavy under the influence of the alcohol. "I think this guy is way pass enough, lights are on but there is nobody in there" muttered one of the customers to the bartender who nodded then proceeded to lead Lars out._

 _Numb to the point of not feeling anything Lars staggered about, barely able to stay up on his feet as he dragged himself through the empty streets of a town in Germany._

 _Suddenly a cry sobered him up, up ahead he saw a random man dragging a girl behind him to an alley, ready to do who knows what. Still under the influence Lars staggered over to find the man with a knife, pressing it against the girl._

 _"Hey! What are you doing?!" Lars yelled, his voice was slurred but loud enough to startled the man, seeing this the girl took off who knows where, but anywhere was safer than there._

 _Angry the man turned his attention to Lars and growled "Your going to regret that",_

 _"I already regret a lot of things" said Lars with a laugh, it was ironic really, he stood up for a complete stranger, but not his brother. His musings were cut short as he felt a flash a pain, looking down the man had stabbed him in the abdomen, pulling the knife out he stabbed Lars again, twisting the knife as he did. Groaning Lars fell to the ground, holding his injury._

 _"Stupid drunk" muttered the man, spitting at Lars before leaving him to die._

 _Curling up on the floor Lars held his injury as he bled, the cold began to spread as Lars began to sober up a bit with realization. What had he been doing?! He should not have been drinking! Wasting away and feeling sorry for himself! Why did he not use his time to look for his brother?!_

 _"I am an idiot! Always making the wrong decisions or thinking only of myself" muttered Lars as he slammed his head against the cold cobblestone ground, if anything he felt he deserved that and worse._

 _"That was some hit" he heard, turning, no, no, he is hallucinating, that crow could not talk..._

 _Said crow was huge, probably reached Lars knees if he stood up, which baffled him as he never knew crows could reach such sizes. Saying nothing the crow landed on the ground in front of him then much to Lars shock it immolated itself in shadows before a dark hooded man stepped out. He looked young, probably mid twenties, but his eyes deceived him as they were far too old for somebody like him, he had dark hair styled in a way Lars had not seen in ages, his clothes were the same, probably early 17th century, but black which matched his cloak._

 _When Lars spotted the sickle in his hand he began to panic, this man... it was the grimm reaper... he had to be!_

 _Bending down he tisked before saying "You have yourself in quite a problem there",_

 _"Tell me something I do not know" muttered Lars, sure it was taunting him,_

 _"Depends... if you had a second chance...what would you do?" asked the man, Lars hesitated as he though before saying "I would use it to find my brother",_

 _"You have a brother?" asked the man surprised, Lars nodded and told him the whole story from start to finish, when done he felt even lower as he was sure he was going to die._

 _Nodding the man said "What if I could give you a second chance?",_

 _"What?" he asked wondering if he heard right, the man nodded, confirming what Lars heard before continuing "With a price, I can give you that second chance, but be warned, with this chance comes great burden and sorrow, if you can shoulder it then maybe you will have a chance to be reunited with your brother",_

 _"How do I know you do not lie?" asked/demanded Lars,_

 _"You said your brother was the phoenix, I am its shadow, we are intertwined as day and night, light and darkness, without one the other cannot exist" explained the man "You may not see him immediately, but you will have a chance to be reunited if you take this offer",_

 _"What's in it for you?!" demanded Lars still suspicious,_

 _"My freedom, I will finally be able to rest in peace" said the man then said holding out the sickle which now Lars noticed that it had a chain attached to it "Do you want to take this chance?"._

 _Lars hesitated as he looked at the weapon then the man, he was not sure if he should trust this man, but the desperation was too much, he was willing todo anything to be reunited with his brother even if it meant taking risks._

 _So with that in mind Lars closed his eyes and reached out, taking the sickle before he could regret it. As soon as he touched the weapon his hand began to burn as currents of electricity passed through it and into him, he gave out a cry of pain as the chain took a life of its own, multiplying it wrapped around Lars, burning off his clothes, turning his red hair black as they and the shadow began to wrapped around him._

 _It was pain beyond pain Lars had ever felt, it was so bad that he swore he somehow had been tricked and was now dying the most horrible way possible. Then just as mysteriously as the pain started it vanished, leaving behind a dull ache._

 _Coughing and gasping Lars got up on his feet and saw the shadows form around his, materializing and changing till they formed new clothes on him and a hooded cloak which covered his now black hair. Looking at his hand he saw the sickle had changed and the stone attached to the chain was now glowing a grayish purple when it had been grayish blue before._

 _Turning he went to ask the man what had happened but he was gone... vanished into thin air... leaving behind nothing but a small leather book. Curious Lars picked up the book to read later before deciding to leave, he had things to do..._

* * *

That seemed like a long time ago in Lars mind before he shook his head and deciding to worry about present matters, such as finding Elsa who somehow managed to get to the Southern isles without anybody realizing it. Which he still has no idea how she did it...

"That does not matter... what matters is finding her and hopefully figuring out why my brother is so sick" though Lars focusing on the present task, as he turned he heard coughing.

"It was you" he heard, for a moment Lars panicked as he turned his head towards the door to find Hans leaning against it heavily. He trembled unsteadily, very clear how weak he was, his clothes drenched in cold sweat. Taking a step Hans collapsed on the ground.

"Hans!" yelled Lars as he went over and reach to try and help but Hans slapped his hand away,

"You! This is all your fault!" Hans growled before looking up and demanding "What did you do to me!?",

"Hans, I don't understand" said Lars confused, he had not done anything to harm him,

"Don't lie to me! You have to have done something!" yelled Hans before crying out as the pain on his back flared again,

"Hans..." said Lars as he placed his hand gently on his shoulder "I would never do anything to hurt you brother, I love you", Hans gave a dry chuckle to this "No you don't, I am just an object to you, something you don't want to share with anybody",

"Hans" began Lars sternly,

"My mother, the one who actually took care of me and loved me, always told me that hearts were made to share... tell me one time you ever shared your heart with me... with anybody" Hans bit back before slumping fully to the ground, having exhausted his energy.

"Hans... HANS!" yelled Lars as he turned over his brother who was limp, checking Lars began to panic as he noticed the erratic breathing Hans had, it was very clear that his condition had worse very fast.

Getting up Lars had some shadow demons carry Hans back to bed, following Lars rummage through Hans room before finding, grabbing Hans cloak and putting it on.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_

 _ **Fun fact: Claras character is loosely based on the Hans Christian Anderson story the little match girl. Even Lars role was inspired by the story The shadow.**_

 _ **Also despite the separation and difference, Lars and Hans life parallel in certain aspects, like for example, Hans who in this AU inspired some of H.C stories such as the Phoenix (Which H.C dedicated to him), the nightingale and the ugly duckling. Lars inspired Edgar Alan Poe, an author who is the huge polar opposite to H.C, Lars inspired Edgar to write about the Raven (which Edgar dedicated it to Lars), the red masque of death and the pit and the pendulum.**_

 _ **Oh no Hans is sick and... what is Lars going to do?! 00... Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all stay tuned for the next chapter as we shall see what will happen when Elsa and Lars meet again, but for now please leave a review and I hope to see you all again in the next chapter.**_


	36. Chapter 36

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Darkphoenix: Lol that's great! But I cannot tell you cause it would be a huge spoiler...**_

 _ **Guest: Your right, she is very benevolent. :)**_ _ **.**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: Yes, Clara is a spitfire, she has to be to take care of her man. lol when in the Southern isles always listen to Clara, she is probably the only one with common sense around there lol**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

It was sunny, which was what one could expected when a place was called the Southern isles along with spectacular beaches and beautiful scenery, it was really a nice place.

But of course as nice as it was Elsa was not there to vacation or enjoy scenery as she was focused on the task at hand.

After getting to the nearest town and asking around she found out that yes she was in the Southern isles, how she got there she was not sure, but regardless she was there, so she moved on and started asking about Lars and where he lived, as soon as she mentioned his name peoples faces went from cheery to scared before they moved on to other things without bothering to answer her questions.

That happened to everybody she asked and soon it became clear that nobody wanted to talk so she decided in looking around and finding out for herself.

"His home has to be around here somewhere" muttered Elsa as she walked through a cobblestone path with a map in one hand and the umbrella on the other. As she walked pass the green pastures and animals Elsa hoped that she would find the Southern isle palace soon or at least another town to ask directions.

"At least I am here" though Elsa before she saw a flash of red up ahead, at first she though it was a trick of the eye, till she looked again, sure enough she had seen clearly a red cloak with gold fire motifs, the very same one Hans wore.

Upon realizing that Elsa felt her heart race, she wondered why was he out there but she did not care, she was just happy to see him. So she ran over, "Hans! I am so glad you...".

Elsa slow down to a stop as she realized, how did Hans escaped? and if he did why was he there in the Southern isles instead of returning back to Arendelle?

The more she though about it the more alarm bells rang on her head as she backed away slowly from this...poser... hoping he did not hear her, but he did and it became apparent as he turned to face Elsa.

With a swift move he pulled down the hood to reveal it was not Hans but Lars,

"What did you do?" whispered Elsa gripping the umbrella, Hans always had that cloak, if Lars had it it meant that something happened to Hans, that maybe even Lars did something to him,

"I should be the one asking as I do not know how you got here to the Isles" began Lars as he took a step only to jump back when Elsa shot ice against it,

"I won't miss the next time" warned Elsa before demanding "I will ask you again, what did you do to Hans?!",

"I did nothing, but I need you to come with me" snapped Lars,

"I am not going anywhere with you! I don't trust you and for good reason" said Elsa, snowflakes dancing around her as her magic was reacting to her anger,

"We don't have time to argue Elsa! You can be mad later! But right now I need you to come with me, no questions asked" said Lars, he sounded urgent, he even looked worried, but Elsa was not going to take chances.

"I am not going with you! Not till you tell me what's going on" said Elsa, this time holding her umbrella up, pointing it at Lars. Seeing it apart of Lars wanted to laugh at it, how could he be scared of a measly umbrella? But another part warned him not to be fooled by appearances, that the umbrella was a dangerous weapon.

Taking a breath Lars head those warnings and said "Its Hans, he is very sick... possibly dying".

Those words hit Elsa like a punch, her eyes widen and watered, her mind a mile a minute, she must have heard wrong, surely Hans was okay, he could not be sick or dying! How could it even happen?!

"Come with me.. please..." begged Lars.

* * *

Nothing is as it seems, this was becoming apparent to the Fateweavers as what they had though for a long time was proven wrong. Which left distrust among them and even anger as they blamed one another for their mistakes. It was only when surprisingly Marius who was not the most serious set them straight.

"Won't you all stop that! Its all your faults what happened! Even I am at fault! But playing the blame game is not helping! So stop arguing or yelling at one another how's about we do something useful for a change! Like finding Rohan!" Marius said.

Looking away Agathe knew he was right, even worse it seems that everything they did for "the good" was so horribly wrong as they just jumped into conclusions without thinking or researching more into it. Not rely on the past and let themselves be influenced by fear.

* * *

 _Sitting on their thrones the Fateweavers were busy discussing one thing or the other, at the corner of her eye she saw Hans leaning over his throne, because of his small size he had to rely on cushions to raise him up to see better, even getting on it was a chore as he had to climb unto it. But Agathe knew he would grow into it, he was due for a growth spurt at any moment now._

 _Soon their talking was interrupted when they had visit, it was the Headmaster, nodding Agathe turned to Hans and said "Would you please go to the training room? We will get you when done", Hans looked like he was going to complain, but decided against it and left saying nothing._

 _Once Hans was out of the room Agathe and the Fateweavers asked "What are the results?", clearing his throat the Headmaster pulled out a scroll from his bag, holding it he pushed his glasses closer to his eyes and said_ _"Hans has no discipline, has not mastered any of the basic magic or has any control of his magic as whenever he uses magic it comes out in explosive and destructive quantities",_

 _"So he failed?" asked Agathe slightly disappointed but not surprised as Hans was just a child and you cannot expect too much of him especially since compared to them he had little to no experience about magic or life._

 _"No... Hans is not in the level of my pupils... or even in the level you all are" said the Headmaster._

 _"He is a child, he will grow into it" said Marius defending Hans,_

 _"He just needs time" said Rohan agreeing._

 _"Well I say" began Sylvia,_

 _"Hold it! I am not done yet" said the Headmaster silencing the Fateweavers before taking a breath "Hans is nowhere near the level you are..." the next words he spoke shocked the Fateweavers to the core "Because he is far beyond it",_

 _"Beyond it?" asked Flora shocked, the Headmaster nodded before saying "Yes, in fact, I have never seen anything like this since Phoenix Bak... I say their in the same level"._

 _As soon as he said that chills ran up and down the Fateweavers spine. Bak was the strongest of the Phoenix, even stronger than they were and they never met him, but they know full well what he was capable off as he had destroyed two of the greatest empires the world ever knew._

 _So if Hans and Bak were in the same level..._

 _The though was terrifying..._

* * *

Fear, it blinded them from the real enemy, the real betrayer was not Hans, never was, but who it was, for a moment they feared it was Sylvia. In their mind it could not be Sylvia, she was dutiful, she loves Rohan, does she?

The doubts in their mind made them fear, it got worse as the more they though about it the more they began to suspect that Sylvia was the betrayer, but she could not be! It was not possible... right?

"I hope its not" though Agathe, for if she was, they had nobody but themselves to blame for letting that monster live and thrive among them.

* * *

Blinking her eyes Elsa looked around to find that she was in a strange hallway, her stomach felt a little squeamish as she and Lars traveled through shadows. Turning he looked at her before asking "Are you alright?",

"Yes" said Elsa as she held her umbrella, if Lars did anything she would attack.

Nodding Lars walked away, Elsa followed keeping some distance just in case. Going down, left and right, Lars lead Elsa to a room, it was a beautiful room, but the smell was awful, it was the same smell you would smell in a place where people who are deadly ill.

Soon after the smell, the room, it became non existence when she saw Hans, for a moment Lars began to worry as fury began to shine in Elsas eyes as she turned and snarled "What did you do to him!?",

"I did nothing" said Lars lifting his arms, he did not want her to fight, but luckily Elsas attention was turned from him, back to Hans as she immediately went to Hans side, taking his hand, it was cold, clammy, it was like holding the hand of a dead person.

Holding it she kissed the palm of his hand before saying "Hans, its me Elsa, I am here", Lars walked closer, he felt guilt as he stared at the scene, he did what he did to protect his brother, he never wanted to hurt him.

Elsa closed her eyes as she pressed his hand against her cheek, much to her surprise it moved a little, stroking her cheek, Lars eyes widen, since Hans fell in that state he had remained unresponsive to everything and everybody. Elsa was the first person who got him to respond. Turning his head a bit he looked at Elsa for a moment as if trying to decide whether he actually seeing what he was seeing or not.

"Elsa?" he asked softly, weakly, Elsa nodded, barely able to hold her tears as she got up and kissed his forehead, leaning to the side Hans closed his eyes to sleep, the first sleep he had in a long while. Pulling away Elsa ran her hand through his hair in a comforting motion before looking at Lars, there was no words, but she knew he wanted to talk to her.

Moving away Elsa followed Lars outside, closing the door gently Lars turned to Elsa and said "Thank you",

"This should not have happened" said Elsa still angry,

"If its what you think your wrong, I did not do this to my brother" said Lars angry,

"Maybe you did" said Elsa crossing her arms "Unintentionally, but you did hurt him".

Lars face darkened with anger before he calm down and said "Lets us be honest here, what if you were separated from your sibling because of a mistake you made? And because of said mistake you never saw your sibling again and when you finally have a chance to be reunited you decide you would do anything to keep your sibling safe, to actually be there for your sibling.. in the end.. how far will you go?".

Elsa said nothing as she could relate to Lars more than what he though, but why did he mistrust her? At first she though that maybe it was a jealousy thing, that he may have though that she was getting in the way of him being reunited with his brother, but it did not seem to be that, what it was she was not sure, but she wanted to find out so she said "I can relate, more than you think Lars",

"Then you will understand why I took him away in the first place, his safety and well being is my top priority" said Lars,

"But your hurting him" said Elsa this time softer "Look, I know you do not trust me and for that I am willing to compromise till I gain your trust",

"Compromise?" said Lars crossing his arms in distrust "What do you have in mind?",

"For now I will stay here to make sure Hans recovers well, but once he is better we will ask him to make a doorway to Arendelle, from which I will be allowed to visit every day" proposed Elsa, in truth it was a very generous offer for she could just take Hans and leave as them being married in the eyes of the Underground Kingdom meant they could not be apart so she really hoped that Lars agreed as she could see that he truly did care about his brother.

For the first few minutes Lars said nothing as he stared before he nodded and said "Alright, but Hans will not be allowed to leave the isles or this castle till you gain my trust",

"Thank you" said Elsa then paused before saying "Maybe, with time, I can convince Hans to have some form of relationship with you, but I cannot promise anything for it will be up to him to decide on what he wants".

Lars eyes widen in surprise, he could not believe that despite what happened she wanted to help him,

"See if you had listen to me this would have happened sooner!" they heard, mentally groaning Lars turned to see Clara walking down the hallway, she had the biggest most satisfied smirk on her face before turning to face Elsa and said "Hello my names Clara, I am the head palace keeper and part time Lars common sense, I apologize for the way he acts, he is book smart but when it comes to people he is as dumb as a rock",

"Clara" groaned Lars rubbing his forehead,

"You are mister" said Clara pinching him then added "The council is waiting, they want to know if you approve on the new trade routs",

"I sware their the neediest people in the world" muttered Lars as he turned and left, once gone Clara said "You must be some kind of saint, for it was me in your shoes I would have smacked him till the end of times... actually I do hit him with a book, but its usually to remind him when he is being an idiot",

"And he lets you get away with it?" asked Elsa covering her mouth in an effort not to laugh,

"Yes, although he has threatened to fire me from time to time I know their just empty threats" said Clara "He could not live without me, literally, you have no idea how many times I had to drag him out of the office so he could get some much needed exercise and fresh air or remind him to eat",

"I see" said Elsa,

"So enough of that, guessing if he made the smart decision you will be staying as our guest for the time being, so I have a room for you all ready" said Clara,

"What if he did not?" asked Elsa curious,

"Lars will have a date with France" said Clara, Elsa looked confused so Clara said "The encyclopedia, that's my usual item to hit him with when he is being an idiot, I would not have to use it if he stopped being so stubborn and took a moment to listen",

"I understand, Hans can be pretty stubborn from time to time, but he listens" said Elsa,

"Your lucky then, Lars usually does not tend to listen to me, when he does its usually because its either too late or almost too late" said Clara shrugging her shoulders, nodding Elsa said "I thank you for the trouble, but if you would not mind, I rather stay in Hans room, to keep an eye on him for the time being",

"Its alright, I understand" said Clara with a smile "Will bring extra blankets and a pillow, oh and if Lars makes an argument about it you tell me and I will set him straight",

"Thank you Clara" said Elsa with a smile, it felt good to have somebody who was friendly in a place she did not know. Turning Elsa went back to Hans room only to freeze at what she saw.

At the foot of Hans bed was the stranger, the very same dark skinned, blue eyed stranger she had seen in the Underground Kingdom and in the palace before she mysteriously was teleported to the Southern Isles. For a moment Elsa closed her eyes as she was startled but when she opened them again she saw the stranger had all but vanished.

Baffled Elsa walked over and looked around the room, trying to find an explanation to what she saw, the windows were closed, the door had also been closed so nobody had entered, there was no shadows or trick of the light.

"Did I imagined him?" asked Elsa confused before shaking her head, of course she imagined him or maybe it was a trick of the light, surely she or Lars would have known if somebody else had entered the room.

So with that in mind Elsa took a chair and pushed it closer to the bed before sitting on it and placing the umbrella besides her. Her goal had been partially completed and in time she hopes things would be resolved without the need of tears or hurt.

 **To be continue...**

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Seems Elsa is being stalked, but the question is who or what is that person. Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter,**_ _ **please stay tuned for the next chapter and please leave a review to tell me what you think of this one.**_


	37. Chapter 37

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Yubima-chan: Maybe and you shall see.**_

 _ **Darkphoenix: Wait no longer, lol hopefully it was well worth the wait.**_

 _ **guest: I would say but it would be a huge spoiler**_ _ **.**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: Yes, the question is how long it will last. lol**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter so please sit back, relax, enjoy a good read and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Two weeks...

That's how long Hans had been out, though he had not stirred Elsa could see he was getting better, Hans was no longer cold, had not had broken in cold sweat for a while and even his skin had recovered a more healthier color. So neither Elsa or others gave up, they continued to watch, keep him comfortable and feed him a liquid diet so he could have some form of nourishment in his body.

Sitting besides the bed where Hans was laying Elsa had rarely left his side and took her meals in the room, gently letting go of his hand Elsa reached into the pocket of her dress she pulled out a book, the same one Hans gave her as a gift. Running her hand through the cover, tracing the E.M.S embroidered on it before opening and reading out loud, this poem she had read it many times before. It summed her feelings in paragraphs.

 _"Passing stranger! you do not know how longingly I look upon you,_

 _You must be he I was seeking, or she I was seeking, (it comes to me as of a dream,)_

 _I have somewhere surely lived a life of joy with you,_

 _All is recall'd as we flit by each other, fluid, affectionate, chaste, matured,_

 _You grew up with me, were a boy with me or a girl with me,_

 _I ate with you and slept with you, your body has become not yours only nor left my body mine only,_

 _You give me the pleasure of your eyes, face, flesh, as we pass, you take of my beard, breast, hands, in return,_

 _I am not to speak to you, I am to think of you when I sit alone or wake at night alone,_

 _I am to wait, I do not doubt I am to meet you again,_

 _I am to see to it that I do not lose you"_

Elsa stopped as she heard Hans voice saying the last paragraph of the poem, looking she saw him turn his head and look at her, eyes open as he whispered a bit "You really are here",

"Yes, I am here" said Elsa relieved, he had been sleeping for quite some time, so much she had grown worried that he may not be waking up ever. Reaching she ran her hand through his hair, he took it and held it close, kissing it before saying softly "I am sorry you have to see me like this",

"Don't be" said Elsa softly "There is nothing wrong with showing weakness, asking or receiving help... isn't that what you taught me?",

"Seems that I taught you too well" said Hans softly as he turned his head to go back to sleep,

"No, don't sleep, not yet" said Elsa shaking him awake "You need to have some solid food as you have been having nothing but liquids the past few days",

"I am not hungry" whined Hans a bit,

"I will ask for food and you will eat it" said Elsa, her tone of voice left no argument. Getting up Elsa walked outside, a couple of minutes passed she returned with a bowl of soup, it was made out of thick beef broth, chunks of meat, potatoes and vegetables which hopefully will give him the vitamins and everything needed to help on his recovery.

Weakly Hans forced himself sit up and took the bowl, eating slowly, the soup was delicious, but Hans could only have a small amount of it,

"Two more spoonful's" not letting Hans argue that, so Hans forced two more mouthfuls before Elsa took the bowl and spoon away, setting it aside as Hans settled down in bed, to sleep.

"Thank you" he said,

"No problem" said Elsa softly,

"Don't leave me" Hans whispered feeling tired, exhausted "I am scared", nodding Elsa took and held his hand before saying "I won't leave". Saying nothing more Hans moved to the side, allowing space on the bed for Elsa to lay down on. Taking her shoes off Elsa used her magic to change the ice dress she was using to a night dress before slipping into bed. Turning to Elsa Hans pressed his lips on her forehead as he placed his arm over her, holding her in a gentle embrace.

Pressing her head against his chest Elsa closed her eyes, soon falling asleep, soothed by the sounds of his heart.

* * *

Night had always been Lars favorite time, he enjoyed the quiet, being alone and not being bothered by people asking questions or favors. As he walked he checked the rooms, he had this compulsion to do that, it was made because of his past. When his father and brothers were alive Lars always felt as though he had to have eyes on the back of his head, never argue, just go with things and be useful.

That was how he survived, but that was just it, he was just surviving, not living. The moment he became what he was now, was the day he started to live.

Reaching Hans room Lars tried the door, usually it was locked, not that it would stop Lars as he would send a shadow demon to check on Hans, but this time much to Lars surprise it was not locked. Twisting it fully Lars pushed the door open, quietly, before taking a peek inside. Once Lars did his face contorted in anger.

In the room both Elsa and Hans were in the same bed, Hans head was pressed on top of Elsas head, his arms wrapped around her as he held her close, protectively, Elsa was curled up against him, her head pressed against his chest, both slept deeply, but regardless Lars was not pleased at all, he was fuming.

It was more than just the fact that it was a scandal, unmarried couples could never share a bed, but what drove Lars in a fury was that in his eyes Elsa could have seduced Hans to bed when he was supposed to be recovering. His little brother had been defiled by that harpy!

Just as Lars was going to go in and yell, he felt a hand on his low pony tail before it was yanked down with him, looking it was Clara and she was less than pleased as she hissed "You speak or anything I will do worse than hit you with a book!" before she dragged Lars away, closing the door behind them quietly.

"Ow ow ow" winced Lars as Clara dragged him away, giving him a look similar to a child being dragged away by his angry mother. Arriving to Lars office Clara let him go once the door was closed behind him.

Turning she glared and said "You will leave them alone"

"She lay with my brother! Defiling him! How can you demand me to leave them alone!?" growled Lars,

"Because do you not see?! She succeeded where all the doctors failed! She got Hans to respond to her, he is getting better, because of her!" snapped Elsa,

"Its a coincidence" said Lars turning his back to her only to yell as Clara grabbed a nearby book and slammed it on top of his head, it did not hurt as much as the French encyclopedia, but hurt regardless.

"Stop being blind fool Lars! Elsa is saving him! How can you not see that!? Or is it that your so desperate to find something, anything that shows you that she is evil when she is not!" growled Clara "Your in your head you see Hans as a 5 year old who needs protection when he is a grown adult and is perfectly able to protect himself, I am willing to bet that he knows more about life and love than you do!",

"But Clara" began Lars,

"No buts! You will leave them alone or so help me I will hit you with every single book in the library! And if that does not stop you" she paused then said "I will become your worst nightmare",

"How will you do that?" said Lars laughing nervously,

"I know you Lars, all your advantages and weaknesses, you don't want to test me" warned Clara, Lars swallowed nervously, it was true, Clara knew him... a little too much... who knew what she could do with that information.

"Okay" said Lars,

"Make me a vow, I do not trust it unless its a vow" said Clara, sighting Lars held up his left hand and said "I Lars Westergaard, sware to you, that I will not interfere with Elsas and Hans relationship unless its justified", nodding Clara held out her left hand which Lars grabbed it, when he did shadows surrounded his and Claras hand before fading, the promised made, it was binding and unbreakable.

"Thank you" said Clara while Lars grumbled, not happy, but stopped when she held up a book.

* * *

Vines were twisting and moving, wrapping around the walls and pillars, the room was ancient, but beautiful, made out of marble and carved out of stone, the colors long since gone because of age, but the ancient beauty remained.

Moving to the center of the room Sylvia walked, her dress made out of leaves and vines, trailing behind her, she was beauty, elegance, control and that was how she liked it.

Walking to the center of the room she looked, there was a huge tree, as if sensing her presence the roots came to life and reached for Sylvia but she was ready. Reaching to her pocket she took out a stone and pointed it at the tree, reacting the two began to glow, soon the tree shrunk and backed away, crawling into a very ornate box. Once it was Sylvia smiled pleased as she moved over and closed the box.

Picking it up she turned to leave when she spotted a skeleton on the ground, it had been wrapped on the tree, Sylvia knew that it was there, who it was, but she did not care as she callously walked over the skeleton, breaking a couple of ribs and its arm bone as she left.

* * *

Hans gasped as he sat up, looked around spooked, his heart rate was through the roof, he felt cold, not like before, this cold was different, as if somebody stepped over his grave.

"Hu? Whats wrong?" asked Elsa as his movement woke her up,

"Yes, sorry" said Hans laying back down to bed, it was still dark out, probably around 2 in the morning so there was no reason to get up. Pressing herself against him Elsa began to trace invisible patterns on his chest, pressing his lips on hers Hans stayed there before pulling back and saying "I love you",

"I love you too" whispered Elsa before they went to sleep. Though it was a troubled sleep, not the peaceful one they had at first.

* * *

It took a lot of patience, even more than what Elsa and Hans though, but finally it could be said that Hans had recovered, maybe not fully but he was better. He had gained some weight he had lost, his skin was no longer that gray ashen color, his eyes had brighten up and most of all he was able to get out of bed and walk about.

"Nice to see your appetite back" commented Lars as he, Hans and Elsa had sat down for breakfast, in a long while Hans would pick his food, maybe have a bite or two, but now he had finished his plate and asked for seconds.

Hans ignored what Lars said, fully focused on Elsa, Lars got the message, Hans was ignoring him on purpose. Sighting Lars finished his food before declaring "Its time for Queen Elsa to go back to Arendelle", the reaction on Hans was worth it, he turned his head and stared at Lars, wide eye in shock.

"Now you listen" though Lars bitterly, but did not show it. Elsa looked but nodded, even she admitted she had been away from Arendelle long enough. Turning to Hans Elsa asked "Can you make a new doorway? One to Arendelle so that way I can visit",

"Under strict supervision" added Lars sternly earning a glare from Hans, not that it surprised Lars.

The rest of breakfast was quiet when done Hans had some ingredients and tools delivered to him before he worked on a door in the lesser used parts of the castle, when done Hans begrudging made a key which gave to Elsa securing that she and only she would be able to use the door.

"I guess this is good bye" said Hans sadly as she took the key, with a small smile Elsa teased "Don't be so overdramatic, its not a good bye, its a see you later",

"Will I see you tomorrow?" asked Hans hopefully,

"Maybe after I do some work" said Elsa, nodding Hans wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, holding her close, it was long and deep. For Lars it was uncomfortable as he moved from side to side, even angry as he bit his lips in an effort not to yell at them and break them up. Sensing this Elsa pulled away and whispered to Hans "Not now",

"Why? Were married" whispered Hans,

"True, but we got to maintain peace, so please, at least try to get along with Lars and not cause trouble" Elsa whispered back,

"Alright, but I will not make any promises" said Hans as he let go of her, with a final smile Elsa unlocked the door using the key and opened it before stepping through it, once she did the door closed behind it, locking, leaving Hans who turned to Lars, looked at him for a brief moment before leaving, not saying a single word.

* * *

Stepping through the door Elsa looked around, sure enough she recognized the room as being one of the unused ones of the Arendelle castle. Though she felt she should be happy she did not, her mind was riddled with questions and doubts.

In her time in the Southern she could not help but notice how angry Hans was towards Lars, not that Elsa blamed him, he had justifiable reasons, but it made her wonder about her own relationship with Anna. In the past, did Anna felt resentful about her? Angry? Because of what happened. Because of her being pushed aside? For being left alone? For having to take care of her own parents funeral when they perished at sea?

Elsa did not want to think about it, Anna was well...Anna...she was as sweet as chocolate and never held a grudge.. right? But then again she was only human, she had to have felt such dark emotions before. But if she did, then why did she forgave Elsa?

Turning Elsa left the room, she wanted to know, not just to help Hans and Lars, but also if Anna still felt that way then they could talk it out, try to fix it, for one thing Elsa was sure is that she did not want to end up making the same mistakes Lars did, not now, not ever.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Its not over yet, though Lars reluctantly agreed its obvious he is not happy, will that change soon?**_ __ _ **Well you will have to wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter as we may have an epic battle on our hands.**_


	38. Chapter 38

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Darkphoenix: I cannot say. But Hans is not out of the woods yet, he may get better but things will get more complicated. Han jolted awake because he felt when Sylvia walked over the skeleton not caring (Which is a huge insult to the dead), why he felt it will be shown later on as there is a connection between Hans and that skeleton.**_

 _ **Dreamdandimaginations: True, but also it not only shows that, also it shows how far Hans and Elsa came from what they were before. I know, that's why I added it here, its sad because it seems like it was swept under the rug when it would have made the movie much more realistic and relatable.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

 _Elsa did not want to think about it, Anna was well...Anna...she was as sweet as chocolate and never held a grudge.. right? But then again she was only human, she had to have felt such dark emotions before. But if she did, then why did she forgave Elsa?_

 _Turning Elsa left the room, she wanted to know, not just to help Hans and Lars, but also if Anna still felt that way then they could talk it out, try to fix it, for one thing Elsa was sure is that she did not want to end up making the same mistakes Lars did, not now, not ever._

* * *

Opening the door it seems that Elsa had interrupted a meeting as Anna and Kristoff were busy with the council. The group initially stared in anger at being interrupted, that was till they saw it was queen Elsa.

"I apologize for interrupting" said Elsa very elegantly "I also apologize for my lengthy absence and thank Princess Anna for taking care of the kingdom while I was gone",

"No no, it's fine, we were just finishing" said Anna waiving her hand while the council quickly excused themselves and left.

"Yes, we were going to have lunch" said Kristoff as the council exited the room with little ceremony,

Once gone and the door closed behind them Anna got up, ran over and threw herself in a hug to Elsa as she said "Elsa are you okay? What happened? How did you get to the Southern isles? Did you find Hans? Did Lars hurt you? If he did I will make him pay!",

"No Anna, I am fine, Hans is fine, as for how I got to the Southern isles I am not quite sure" said Elsa,

"Well what matters is that your okay sister, I was just so worried" said Anna,

"I understand and I am sorry about making you worry" said Elsa soothingly as they turned and left for the art room to have lunch.

Hence the name the art room was full of art as their parents love for art is why they have such a vast collection of it, among the old ones was the Joan of arc painting, this one despite Anna's fondness, Elsa hated it with a passion. Its not the painting she hated but the reminder of what happened to Joan and how at any given moment they could share the same fate.

Elsa held back the need to shiver as she turned and focused on the other paintings, there were some French ones which their parents bought to save from being destroyed by the French revolution like the painting called The Swing by Jean-Honore Fragonard and a couple of others. Looking at them Elsa could not help but compare their collection to the ones Hans had.

Their collection was bright with cheery aesthetics, while the paintings and artwork Hans had were a bit more somber, deeper meaning and practicality. Like this one particular painting he had, it was that of a girl in a white dress, but the of the painting rest was painted in all shades of blue giving it a somber and sad aura as the girl looked like a cadaver. It scared Elsa and she could not believe when Hans told her that that painting was his favorite as she could not understand how he could even like it, it was only when he explained the meaning of the painting that she understood why.

The painter who did the painting had a strange kind of longing and sadness, longing for a friend, sadness because he lost said friend, that's why the painting was blue, but if you looked closer to the painting you noticed fleshy undertones and colors that seem to come out, it was symbolic of how the painter was overcoming his sadness and longing and coming to terms with loosing his friend. Being able to let go and move on was not easy, for that Elsa could understand why Hans loved the painting, as he hopes someday to let go and move on from that past which hurt him.

It also got Elsa thinking, what kind of hurts her sister had which she was not aware of, surely all those years of isolation took a toll not only on her but her sister as well.

Sitting down in a table they had a meal of sandwiches and cakes Kristoff asked "SO, how was Lars? Judging by the fact your okay my guess nothing happened",

"He was... interesting" said Elsa putting her tea cup down,

"How so?" asked Anna curiously,

"A good ruler, but I don't understand, he genuinely thinks I am bad and that he is protecting his brother, but I do not understand where he got that idea" said Elsa,

"Maybe somebody should check his head" joked Kristoff,

"Somebody is" said Elsa as she remembered Clara then added "But its done little good, I hope that the more he gets to know me the more he will trust me",

"Your kidding me! Your just going to go along with what he wants?!" said Anna baffled,

"What else can I do?" said Elsa,

"Not do what he wants! Hans is your husband in the eyes of the Underground kingdom, you can demand Lars to give him back" said Anna,

"You would not say that if you saw what he can do Anna" said Elsa "I saw how he fights Anna and even in that small moment I am not fully aware of his full strength, so who knows what he is capable of and because of that I cannot take chances",

"But Elsa",

"No buts, I know you mean well, but we have to be smart when handling Lars, because something tells me that if we push him too far he will snap and the outcome of it will not be pretty" said Elsa.

Anna wanted to protest but decided not to as she knew Elsa was right, not one of them, not even the Fateweavers knew what Lars was capable of and if he has the shadow demons under his dominion then it means that he was very powerful.

"Are you sure its just that?" asked Kristoff after a while,

"I don't understand",

"You sure its just that you want to play it safe Elsa or is it because you see yourself in Lars" explained Kristoff, Elsa's eyes widen, Kristoff had caught her as yes, she was doing it to play safe, but also because even though they barely talked, the talk they did have made her to Lars, she could understand his reasons and why as she had been there. But of course she was not going to let Kristoff know.

"It does not matter, what matters is resolve this without causing a war or blood shed" said Elsa as she took a sip of tea,

"Alright" said Kristoff but he was not convinced by the tone of his voice.

When done with their meals Anna and Kristoff excused themselves but Elsa stopped Anna, "Anna can I please talk to you alone?", Anna looked confused but nodded while Kristoff stared between the two before he left to give the sisters some space.

"Are you mad at me Anna?" asked Elsa after Kristoff left,

"Mad? Why would I be mad at you?" asked Anna confused,

"I mean, were you mad... because of what I did... the isolation, the gates closed... burying our parents alone..." Elsas voice began to crack towards the end as her eyes began to tear up, Anna looked confused before she realized what Elsa was talking about and said "No Elsa no, I was never mad at you",

"How? I was horrible, even when I had good reasons, I wonder why did I just not trust you with my secret, it would have made the world of a difference" said Elsa as she whipped her tears with the palm of her hand,

"Elsa, you had your reasons and I understand, yes I was mad, but after I found out you did it to protect me I just could never find it in me to be mad" said Anna,

"Did you hate me?",

"No, your my sister, I love you" said Anna as she went over and hugged Elsa.

"If you hate me its okay! I deserve it! You don't need to lie" said Elsa crying,

"I never hated you Elsa, I was mad but I can and will never hate you" said Anna,

"How can you not? I was horrible to you even with good reasons" said Elsa,

"Elsa where is this coming from? What happened?" asked Anna,

"Its Lars and Hans... Hans hates him so much... and it made me wonder if you hate me too because of all the isolation you suffered and everything I did" said Elsa between sobs.

Frowning Anna held her sister and said "You are wrong Elsa, I don't hate you and I am not mad at you, as for those two.. you cannot compare their situation with ours, what you did was to protect me, while everything Lars did was to protect himself, whether Hans forgives him in the end its up to him to decide, regardless I promise you my dear sister, you do not have to worry about me hating you and if you think I do then let me tell you that I have already forgiven you for everything"

Sniffling Elsa wrapped her arms around Anna and said "Thank you",

"Anything for you sister" said Anna with a smile before pulling away and taking her hand "Come on, you owe me a snowman and maybe an hour or so of ice skating",

"I can make it a night" said Elsa with a light laugh "Because I owe you more than one measly hour", laughing the two sisters latched unto each others arms and merrily made their way out of the room. As she walked Elsa felt lighter, which she did as the weight of a worry had been lifted off of her shoulders knowing that her sister did not hate her or was mad at her.

* * *

"Sylvia!" a voice echoes through the dark forest, looking around Rohan held up a lantern in one hand and a map on the others. Looking at the map he looked up again and around, coming to terms that he was hopelessly lost after spending weeks wandering around the seemingly endless forest.

"Sylvia!" Rohan called out again, then felt a shift, looking down he saw the roots move aside, confused he looked up ahead as he saw the trees part, creating a clear path for him to walk through. "Sylvia" though Rohan as he was sure this was her doing as he began to walk the path.

It took him deeper into the forest, while he walked he noticed the trees behind him move back to their original spots as if to make sure he was not followed.

"Rohan" he heard, that voice, it always had the ability to make his heart skip a beat by just hearing it, turning to face the voice it took everything Rohan had not to cry in relief as he saw Sylvia before him. Strong, healthy but most importantly she was safe, in his relief that he had found her he failed to notice the darkness which had taken over her eyes.

"What are you doing?" said Sylvia, her voice as cold as ice,

"I... I came to look for you" said Rohan softly "I was worried" as he reached to touch her but she pulled away, "No, you came here to stop me" she accused,

"No I mean yes, but that's not the main reason" said Rohan lovingly as he tried to reach for Sylvia again "Please Sylvia whatever is wrong, you can tell me, we can talk to the Fateweavers, they will understand if not we can face whatever is bothering you together",

"No, this is a path I must walk alone" said Sylvia,

"Sylvia ... I love you... when we made our vows, I swore I would love you to the end of time... right now, I beg of you, for our love, don't do this" begged Rohan as he walked over. Sylvia stood stiffly as she allowed Rohan to hug her, "I love you Sylvia" he whispered kissing her cheek,

"I know" said Sylvia followed by a crack, upon hearing that Rohan grew pale slowly backing away Sylvia stared at him as he realized what she had done,

"Why?" he gasped tears spilling from his eyes,

"Love makes you weak" said Sylvia as she opened her hand holding the shattered remains of Rohans soulstone,

"But I love you" said Rohan,

"I never did, you were just convenient for me" said Sylvia as Rohan collapsed to the ground, the last thoughts in his mind was anguish and heartbreak as he came to terms with the fact that Sylvia never loved him, merely used him and that though alone made Rohan's death the saddest one of all. Turning Sylvia left, not caring at all that she had just murdered the only person who had loved her the most for in Sylvias mind her own goals came first, everything else was disposable.

* * *

"ROHAN!" yelled Hans as he jolted awake, that dream... it was no dream... every fiber in his being was telling him that it was not a dream, it was a horrible reality. Scrambling up Hans almost knocked Elsa out of the bed and he barged out of the room to the doorway to Arendelle intended on using it to get to Arendelle where he could access the door to the Underground Kingdom and get there.

But on the way he slammed into Lars who got up to investigate after he heard Hans screaming,

"Hans, stop, what's wrong?" said Lars grabbing Hans by his shoulders to hold him down, squirming and thrashing Hans tried to get off of Lars grip as he screamed incoherently something about some person named Rohan and how he needed to get to the Underground.

"No! You know you will not go there!" said Lars firmly,

"I have to go! Go! Rohan!" said Hans incoherently, he was a babbeling mess and would not stop shaking.

Reaching his hand back Lars struck Hans across the face trying to get him to snap out of whatever was going on, it seemed to work too well as he got quiet and stared at him in a mixture of shock and something else Lars could not identify.

"You will not go and I don't care who Rohan is, he is nothing to you" said Lars firmly, Hans said nothing, his mouth opened and closed as if trying to say something before the next thing Lars knew he slumped to the ground.

"Hans!" yelled Lars as he caught his brothers falling form before it hit the floor of the palace, holding him close alarm bells began to sound in Lars head as he felt his brothers body get cold.

"No no, not again" begged Lars as he called out for help, the sickness had returned.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: 00 (Speechless)... That is just cold... Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter.**_


	39. Chapter 39

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Guest: A bit of a spoiler, but no, neither Lars or his place are responsible for Hans state of being.**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: No, Hans because his magic is closely tied to life and death he can sense it.**_

 _ **Crazyaboutto: Its a secret. ;)**_

 _ **Yubima-chan: Wish granted. lol**_

 _ **guest: You will see... but it will not be pretty...**_

 _ **Darkphoenix: I should not say... but what Hans is suffering is a fate worse than death, in a way he is loosing himself because of this... that's why he is going in and out of strange catatonic states among other things.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

 _Reaching his hand back Lars struck Hans across the face trying to get him to snap out of whatever was going on, it seemed to work too well as he got quiet and stared at him in a mixture of shock and something else Lars could not identify._

 _"You will not go and I don't care who Rohan is, he is nothing to you" said Lars firmly, Hans said nothing, his mouth opened and closed as if trying to say something before the next thing Lars knew he slumped to the ground._

 _"Hans!" yelled Lars as he caught his brothers falling form before it hit the floor of the palace, holding him close alarm bells began to sound in Lars head as he felt his brothers body get cold._

 _"No no, not again" begged Lars as he called out for help, the sickness had returned._

* * *

"What did you do?" Lars heard, it was cold, turning he faced Elsa who stood at the doorway starring, her face, upon looking at it Lars immediately knew what she was thinking.

"Elsa its not-",

"Then what was!? He was fine till you showed up!" accused Elsa, she did not want to think of that, but the coincidence was far too great, Hans had been fine and healthy till the moment Lars stepped back into his life, either it was all a coincidence or Lars was doing something to make Hans sick. As cruel as it sounded Elsa began to believe the latter.

"I don't know! He was okay! Rambeling something about Rohan and how he needed to get to the Underground Kingdom" said Lars. Elsa glared but said nothing more than "We will go to the Underground Kingdom",

"What!? NO that place will-",

"Either we go or I will make sure that you never see Hans again" warned Elsa,

"You have no right" growled Lars angrily,

"Then you never cared" growled Elsa, Lars stared, there was nothing more said, the decision was very clear.

* * *

Something, something was wrong, Agathe walked back and forth, her heart was telling her that over and over, something was wrong with Hans. She may not be his mother, but she raised him since he was a child, she put clothes on his back, fed him, took care of him, send him to school, nursed him back to health when he was sick, took care of every scrape or injury, comfort him when he was sad, was there for every aspect of his life.

Because of all this yes, she did consider herself his mother and like a mother she had developed that so called sixth sense which always says when something is wrong with a child, right now that sense was driving her up a wall.

She had wanted to check on Hans, but something was keeping her from getting to the isles, as if Lars had found a way to keep them from reaching the isles at any means necessary, not even by boat she could arrive as the currents would make the boat turn around and leave.

"Please, if I get anything, I pray that nothing happens to Hans" Agathe begged mentally, when she heard loud yells, turning her face went pale as she saw Elsa and Lars limping, at first she was furious at Elsa bringing Lars, but that stopped when she saw they were busy helping Hans walk, he took a couple of steps before collapsing to the ground muttering "Give me a moment, I don't feel so good" before covering his mouth as he gagged and coughed.

Panic setting in Agathe ran over and helped Hans up, it got worse when she helped lift him up, he was limp, but that was not what worried her, blood, it was over his lips, chin, it was coming out of his eyes.

"Its getting worse" whispered Lars, Elsa was too stunt to speak,

"Come, we have to get him to the infirmary" said Agathe trying to keep a level head as between the three of them they helped Hans walk, but it was clear he just was going downhill for every minute and second that passed.

* * *

Almost, that word rang through Elsas mind over and over as she, Lars, Clara, Anna and Kristoff waited in one of the living rooms. According to the Fateweavers who had done the healing Hans was between limo, almost dead but not quite. The why was unknown, but it was clear to Elsa that they were ready to blame Lars for Hans condition and yes she had initially though that Lars was responsible, but now that she was more levelheaded it made no sense.

Why would Lars want to do this to the brother he loves? Sure he had taken him away from family, friends and so forth, but he would never do anything that would kill or put Hans in danger.

So the question remained, who or what was behind Hans deteriorating condition?

Suddenly a door opened, the group grew tense as they though it was Agathe or one of the fateweavers, but it was not, it was Albert,

"What happened? How is my brother? Is he alright?" asked Albert, he was out of breath and gasping, seems he rushed to get to the Undergound kingdom,

"He is stable" said Elsa,

"But how do you found out?" asked Anna confused,

"Marius told me" said Albert "Victoria is besides herself with worry, she cannot come here so I did for her" with that he walked over Elsa and took her hands "I know we don't know each other very well, but whatever you need, what my brother needs, me and my darling Victoria will help in any way",

"Thank you but I-",

"I think maybe you and Elsa can" said Lars surprising the group, sighting he said "Can you head back to the Southern isles palace? Get somethings, maybe some blankets, clothes, what Hans likes, he may need it".

There was silence, usually Lars wanted nothing to do with Albert and the few times Lars mentioned him was in anger and insults, this was the first polite thing he had ever said.

Nodding Elsa got up to accompany Albert as she did she heard Anna say reassuringly "Don't worry, we will keep an eye on things",

"Thank you" said Elsa softly before she and Albert left the room. Once gone silence settled once more as nothing more said as all were too buried deep in their worry.

* * *

The castle was quiet or quieter than it had been before, Elsa and Albert said nothing as they each went their ways to gather things, arriving to the laundry Elsa grabbed some warm clean blankets along with sheets and such which were in a storage room, stuffing them into a bag Elsa turned to leave the room, but as she walked the hallway she heard whimpers.

Pausing Elsa looked around wondering if she heard right, when she heard the whimpers again she realized she not only heard what she heard, but also who those whimpered belonged to.

"The wisps" Elsa though as she looked around, following the sounds to a study, Lars private study. Opening the door she took a peek inside and looked around, she heard them, but did not see them and nothing seemed to be out of place.

"Hello?" asked Elsa as she looked around for the wisps, she checked under the furniture and rug, through some books, finally when she got to the desk and opened the underside to expose the compartment inside to gasp when she found the wisps hiding inside.

They gasped, whimpered and coward only to relax a bit when they saw it was Elsa.

Seeing how scared they were Elsa frowned, her guess they had a rather nasty run in with the shadow demons again, it was clear that the shadow demons did not like the wisps and would often times used them as a form of sick entertainment whenever they caught a wisp, sure Lars was there to make sure the shadow demons did not do anything evil, but doing evil and causing trouble was in their nature even with Lars to reign them in you cannot change what they are. Reaching Elsa said soothingly "Its okay, I am not going to hurt you".

Slowly one by one the wisps came out of hidding, surrounding Elsa.

Holding up her hand she smiled as some rested on her hand, holding them she smiled and asked "Its okay, I will get you all out of here", they all cheered and clapped as Elsa opened the bag, quickly the will o wisps jumped into the bag, except one, it paused then went back to the desk.

"What's wrong?" asked Elsa confused by the wisps actions, soon she saw the wisps pulling on something, it was a rag doll in shape of a horse with wings, not expertly made, but you could tell what it was, the cloth was old, dusty and the ribbon which was used to make a bow around its neck had long since lost its cheery red color.

Confused as to why the wisps would want such an old dusty thing Elsa picked it up and looked over it before spotting a note attached to it, taking it she opened it, upon reading its content her eyes widen.

Hans needed to see this. With that she stuffed the horse with the note into her bag along with another item she found before leaving in a hurry.

* * *

Standing on a cliff overlooking the Underground Kingdom Sylvia spent many days admiring the beauty, thinking of the was and what will be once she is done. Turning around she faced the runes she had carved on the ground, on top of them were urns which were not of mystery origin to Sylvia. Standing in the center with the urns around her she held up a crystal and twig, the crystal began to glow as the twig grew around it, turning into a magnificent staff, through it she channeled all her magic through it and sent it to the urns as she chanted "What was once alive is dead and now may the dead rise and do my bidding" she repeated it over and over.

As she did the light in the staff grew brighter and brighter and the urns began to shake, cracking violently before breaking, the ashes spilling before piling up together and growing, changing, forming into somethings which were once alive but not anymore as their forms were undead, twisted and corrupted.

"It is time" she though "And this time I will be the high Fateweaver once more, but before I do I must have the Kingdom cleansed with fire before it is reborn to my desire" with that she pointed to the Kingdom, giving a silent order of destruction.

 ** _To be continued..._**

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_

 _ **Fun fact: Sylvia if metal illness were known better back then, she would have been diagnosed with Borderline personality disorder. In her mind she is always right and anybody who challenges or opposes her or what she thinks is right is not only a threat but her enemy.**_

 _ **The battle is close at hand... what will happen?! I would say but this would be a huge spoiler. Either way, were are nearing the end of the story, maybe 5 chapters or less before the grand finale. Its sad but stories have to end eventually. So for now I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter, please leave a review as your comments and opinions are always held in high regard to me and please stay tuned for the next chapter.**_


	40. Chapter 40

**_Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better._**

 _ **A**_ _ **ny way, hope you all enjoy this new chapter of the firebird, read on and please remember to leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Arriving back to the Underground Kingdom Elsa and Albert was received with a loud cry, it brought chills down their spine, it was nota simple cry or one of sorrow, but very profound grief, like a mother who lost her child. Having a bad feeling Elsa dropped what she had gathered and ran to where she had heard it come from.

Turning to a corner looking Elsa felt her dread grow worse as she found Agathe crying, completely inconsolable as the Fateweavers gathered around trying to console her. Her breath hitched, her heart beats began to quicken, was it because... No!... It cannot be possible!

Slowly, mechanically Elsa made her way pass the group and into the room where Hans was kept, as she walked to the door her footsteps felt heavy, as if she had heavy blocks attached to her feet. Breathing yet suffocating at the same time Elsa reached for the door nob, grasp it, it was so cold to the touch, never had cold bothered her till now.

Turning the door nob Elsa pushed the door open and looked, her eyes widen in horror, it took everything she had not to cry out in sorrow as she said "Hans... what happened to you?".

* * *

Nothing, nobody told him anything. Pacing back and forth it was taking all Lars had not to march over and demand information on his brothers well being, but decided not to as while he was in the Underground he may be out of his league and not as powerful against all the fateweavers.

Growling Lars continued to pace only to stop every now and then to grab a chocolate from a plate that Clara had set out for him, every so often he would stop, take a chocolate eat it then continue his pacing, but this time as he reached he found his hand touched nothing. Confused Lars looked only to find something strange, Clara had left out a plate with 20 pieces of chocolate.

He knew for he had an odd habit of counting his food or his things, always having them in an even number. This made him count the chocolates, which the 20 chocolates he had, which were supposed to be 14 as he ate most of it, were now reduced to 3 pieces which he was sure he had not eaten the pieces.

"What happened here?" though Lars as he looked around, he did not eat the chocolates, he remembered, so it meant somebody took them, but who?

Soon a bluish shine caught his attention, turning he saw the light was a little will o wisp, it scurried around the ground, struggling as it tried to carry the chocolate pieces it piled up one on top of the other, yet despite the weight and difficulty the wisp was determined to leave with the chocolates, as it left the room Lars watched then there was thumps and crashes startling him.

Running out he saw a shadow demon with the will o wisp, in terror the wisp ran back and forth while the shadow demon blocked any and all escapes routs, like a sick and sadistic game before picking it up.

"Stop!" yelled Lars as he ran over, caught the shadow demon turned, there was no wisp, but Lars was no fool.

Taking out his sickle Lars held it out and warned "Where is it?", the shadow demon, shrunk, trying to look as small and innocent as possible,

"Oh no! Your not fooling me!" warned Lars, the symbols on his sickle began to glow dangerously, making a strange whining sound the shadow demon showed its hands as if saying "I have nothing on me",

"Open your mouth!" ordered Lars making it wince and look incredulous at Lars as if he was either insulting or crazy,

"Now!" ordered Lars, grumbling the shadow demon opened and opened its mouth, sure enough inside was a will o wisp, its was shaking and traumatized, not that Lars blamed it. Reaching Lars took the wisp into his hand and said "Poor thing", realizing it was free the wisp took off fast only to stop gather the chocolates it dropped before disappearing somewhere out of the hallway.

Angry Lars turned to the shadow demon who coward in fear, "I told you all to behave" growled Lars as the chain attached to her sickle came to life before they went forward, wrapping around the shadow demon who shrieked and screamed as the chains glowed and tightened around its body before it was crushed and faded away, nothing was left behind.

Turning Lars gave a warning glare to the other shadow demons who gathered there, looking terrified, "Let that be a warning if you disobey me" growled Lars as he gestured to where the shadow demon once was. Saying nothing the others quickly bowed in fear, showing complete submission to Lars.

* * *

Never, not once Elsa though it would be like this. She sat across the room, starring at Hans, no... not Hans... that was a body, but it was not Hans. He did not speak, he ate, went to the bathroom, moved, but other than that there was nothing, he did not responded when talked to, he would not even look at her when she would take his hand and hold it.

Not even the will o wisps could get him to respond and they tried, every now and then they would appear with various items such as playing card, a pawn from the chess game even one appeared with a ball from an English billard game.

Just as that the will o wisps appeared, again they tried to get Hans to respond to them, one gave a whisper she did not understand and soft cooes as it pressed its "tiny hand" against the tip of Hans nose, there was no response. Another moved part of his hair away from his face, touching his forehead, nothing happened.

It was nothing, he was not there, he was empty, cooing sadly some of group of will o wisps curled up against Hans lap, side and in his hair. While another went over to Elsa, holding up chocolate, taking it Elsa smiled her thanks as the wisp got on her lap and curled up against it.

Running her hand through the wisp gently Elsa sighted, it was ironic really, about 2 years ago she wanted nothing more than to have Hans, who then she knew only as Firebird, out of her life, but now, after everything that happened, everything they went through, the times they shared, both good and bad, everything. Somehow he had become such a part of her life that she could not imagine her life without him.

She did not want to imagine as she did not want that to happen. Getting up from her chair Elsa reached to the table where she had placed the rag Pegasus horse, taking it she walked over and sat next to Hans, pressing her head against his and whispered "Hans... I know your there... somewhere... I don't know if you can hear me but if you do, you have to come back, this... this is not you... the Hans I knew never would have left knowing that his friends need him, so please, come back, come back as a bird if you must, but please, don't leave us, don't leave me... once I would have been happy without you, but not now, not after all we know and experienced" closing her eyes she through tears "I love you, I wish I had told you sooner or more often, I am sorry for not doing both".

Pressing the rag horse into his hand she kissed his cheek, it probably did not help, but she prayed that it and her love would be more than enough to bring him back. She did not believe in fairy tales, she did not believe in happy endings as she though one was not reserved for her, but she could hope, hope and pray for a happy ending for them.

Suddenly she grew tense as she felt something wet on her hand, looking it was tear.

* * *

Darkness, it was nothing like Hans ever saw, it was darker than the darkest night, suffocating and oppressive. It trapped him like a cage, a cage he could not escape, he ran and ran, but no escape can be found.

Collapsing on the ground Hans gagged and coughed, his muscles ached, he was tired, exhausted, the darkness caved down upon him, crushing him. He just lay there out of breath, in his mind he began to wonder if this was it, if he was going to die. Just as he though that he heard, it was not an angels, but to him it was.

 _"Hans... I know your there... somewhere",_

"Elsa?" though Hans as he picked himself up,

 _"I don't know if you can hear me but if you do, you have to come back, this... this is not you... the Hans I knew never would have left knowing that his friends need him, so please, come back"_ he heard her say. With a new sense of urgency, Hans found strength where he did not know he had, forced himself back to his feet and ran.

 _"Come back as a bird if you must, but please, don't leave us, don't leave me... once I would have been happy without you, but not now, not after all we know and experienced"_ Hans heard her say as he ran further he saw a light piercing through the darkness, the closer he got he could feel this force trying to pull him back into the dark.

There was a faint sob before he heard Elsa say _"I love you, I wish I had told you sooner or more often, I am sorry for not doing both",_

"Don't be sorry, don't be sorry" though Hans as he continued to run, fighting against that force which tried to keep him back, he continued to run and run, his legs hurt, his lungs were ready to burst, but he pushed on, he had so many reasons not to give up, to give in, he had to get there, for his love, his friends, his family, he could not stop, not now, not ever.

Without stopping Hans pushed himself, he was close to the light, so close.

Finally he got there and when he did it blinded him for a bit.

* * *

The citizens of the Underground kingdom was going by their regular schedules, doing chores, going to work, keeping or opening shops, it was just like any other day for them in their wonderful and peaceful life. Little did they know was that there was going to be a mayor change.

"Good morning Rose" said a random citizen as he entered one of the many bakeries in the Underground kingdom,

"Good morning Carl, got a loaf of fresh baked bread for you" said Rose as she turned to fetch it, while Carl waited, his nosed twitched slightly as he caught the smell of something burning.

"Good God woman, that smells like-", he was unable to finish as Rose gave off a scream of terror as the store was engulfed in flames in what was a matter of seconds.

* * *

 _Blinking the brightness away Hans looked around, with his sight coming to focus he quickly saw he was in the Southern isles, but he was not there physically, this, it was a memory, but from whoes was the question._

 _Suddenly there was a loud crash making him jump. Turning his eyes widen as he saw a surprising sight, his brother Lars, the push over, the spineless, the one who let others walk all over him, slamming Caleb against a wall._

 _Hans just stared as he walked closer in shock, he never though he would see Lars doing this to his brothers, even more what he said next._

 _"Why did you do that!? Do you not care that it scarred our little brother for life?!" snarled Lars to Caleb,_

 _"He is just a runt" said Rudi shrugging,_

 _"Besides, he won't remember" said Runo not caring, this seemed to make Lars angrier as he shouted "Its Christmas! Its the one time of year children can look forward to being spoiled, its the only day Hans had since his birthday is never celebrated",_

 _"Because he is a use-" Jurgen did not finished as Lars punched him in the face, he punched him so hard he broke Jugens nose and knocked him out. Saying nothing more Lars left fuming. When he left the scene began to change, this time Hans was standing outside of the door which used to be his bedroom, soon Lars walked over to the door._

 _Lars stood in front of the door, looked down briefly at a rag horse Pegasus, sighting Lars turned the nob and pushed the door open quietly, there Hans was as a child, sleeping._

 _Hans frowned, he remembered he had cried himself to sleep after that Christmas cookie fiasco, but what was Lars doing?_

 _Looking at the child then at the toy Lars made a move to wake child Hans up, but just as he reached be backed off, the child looked so miserable Lars could not find it in himself to wake the child so he did not._

 _Backing away Lars left the room, pausing a moment Lars looked back at the child and whispered "I am sorry Hans, I had no idea they were going to do this, if I had known I would have..." he sighted and said "I am sorry..." with that he left._

 _Seeing this Hans began to feel a bit sick, all this time he swore Lars had known about the cookies, had had something to do with it. But this memory proved other wise and that rag horse proved he had tried to make amends._

 _The memory changed yet again, this time Hans was in an office like place, Lars was there, pacing back and forth, running his hand through his hair in either stress or worry._

 _Soon the door opened and a random person walked in, Hans did not know who it was but apparently Lars knew and he cut straight to the chase "Did you find him?", the strangers shook his head no before saying "No sire, me and the search group looked everywhere in the isles",_

 _"Everywhere? The big and little islands? Inland and outland?" demanded Lars,_

 _"Yes, we think he may-",_

 _"Don't you dare" warned Lars,_

 _"But sire, Hans is just a child, if we have not found him now and there is no ransom note then it means he is-",_

 _"No! He is not! He is somewhere out there! Alone and scared! Begging for somebody to find him" snarled Lars not having it,_

 _"Lars",_

 _"Don't! He is out there, alive and we will find him! So unless you bring me a body I will not consider anything else" said Lars then breathing he added "You and your group will keep searching, look again at all the islands, ask everybody and anybody, this search will not stop till my brother is brought back home", nodding the man bow down then left._

 _When the man left Lars turned, he walked a bit, Hans felt dread as he knew something was going to happen, he was right._

 _The next thing Hans knew Lars had began to slam his head against the wall, it was so hard it sounded like somebody was trying to burst through the wall, while he did that he kept saying he was sorry over and over._

 _"Lars stop!" yelled Hans in horror, yes he was angry, but he would never want this, reach he felt his hands go through Lars. This was a memory, it had happened, nothing else..._

 _Then it just stopped, there was a flash of light and nothing more..._

* * *

Hans blinked, he was starring down at his hands which were wet, he had been crying. Looking up he stared at Elsa, closing his eyes he continued to let his tears fall freely as he realized what a fool he had been. He was not hated or used, he was cared for and most of all, he was loved, not just by Elsa or his friends, but his brother Lars.

Reaching Elsa hugged and held him, he wrapped his arms around her, they held one another for a bit, Hans whimpering "Sorry" over and over confusing Elsa over what was he talking about. But before he could question it the door slammed open and Albert ran inside, his face ashen with pure terror and fear.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: That's not good... (Covers eyes)**_ _ **Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all stay tuned for the next chapter as we shall see what will happen when Elsa and Lars meet again, but for now please leave a review and I hope to see you all again in the next chapter.**_


	41. Chapter 41

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Guest: You will see...**_

 _ **Guest: The rotten kind of parents...**_

 _ **Yubima-chan: At first yes but then they went back to the Underground Kingdom. Of course he is not... but somebody else is rotten to the core.**_

 _ **guest: Its not just Elsa, Lars had played a part in it too, though not as direct as Elsa. It was both familial and lovers love that brought Hans but Lars is no push over...**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: Well the Shadow demons need a reminder of who the boss is every so often. lol**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Smoke, it was the first thing that Hans and Elsa noticed and smelled when they followed Albert to town. All around people were either trying to control the flames or saving whatever belongings they could or rescuing others. The water seemed to have no effect as the flames raged on.

"Hurry hurry! Get the people out of here!" yelled Agathe as the Fateweavers tried to help rescue and control the situation as well as they could, but it was not enough.

Acting quick Hans tore off his gloves and tried to exert control over the flames to turn them off, but it was hard, almost difficult, the pain he felt was horrible, it was like he was being burned on the inside, yet he remained steadfast as he forced the flames simmer then die down.

Trembling Hans pressed his hand on his lower back which was where the worst pain was, noticing it Elsa asked "What's wrong?", before Hans could answer he froze and turned, starring at the smoke covered streets. His face was of pure shock and fear, Elsa could not understand why, starring she saw figures coming forth from the smoke which just seemed to part for them.

The closer they got the more spooked the Fateweavers seemed to get, there were 6 people, 5 of them Elsa did not know, 2 woman and 3 men, upon closer look her eyes widen as she recognized them.

They, they were Bak, Feinya, Aled, Mahendra and Svetlana, the phoenix of the past! but at the same time they were not, their skins were ashen, their bodies so distorted in a way that you knew they were not alive. Before a word was spoke the group went on the attack, one of the group, Feinya attacked Agathe, slamming them both against a wall, reacting Merlin ran but he was thrown against the ground yelling in pain as Mahendra and Aled burned his back.

"Merlin!" yelled Hans before he was almost attacked by Bak, but the blow never came. Looking Hans saw Bak had chains wrapped around his body, immobilizing him, turning Hans sighted when he saw Lars was there,

"Are you alright brother?" asked Lars with concern,

"Yes, thank you" said Hans getting up from the ground, nodding Lars glared at the group before saying "You and the rest get as many out",

"But Lars" began Hans,

"Now, this is my job to do this, not yours" said Lars, nodding Hans back away, the rest did the same leaving Lars alone to face the group.

* * *

Leading the group to a safehouse Hans cursed as he walked back and forth,

"What was that!?" yelled Clara shocked at what happened,

"I though that nothing could be brought back to life" said Elsa confused,

"No, I mean, its possible, but its forbidden" said Agathe before she explained "If a person is brought back they come back corrupted, a shell of their former selves, their souls suffer in pain as they are trapped in a body", Elsa looked at Hans who nodded, confirming what was said. It was at that moment she realized why Lars said he would take care of it. Hans did not have it in him to kill his own, even if they were half dead and was the right thing to do.

Turning they group watched, hoping this would all be over. But it was not, it was just the beginning of what would be a nightmare when they heard screaming.

* * *

Holding unto the sickle Lars looked as Bak, Feinya, Aled, Mahendra and Svetlana surrounded him, despite the panic Lars felt inside he remained calm and cool. The first one who attacked was Aled, turning Lars slammed the blunt end of the sickle unto Aleds chest sending him against the ground. While that happened Mahendra attacked him by the side, knocking the sickle off of Lars hands.

Acting quick Lars ran and got the sickle just in time before swinging it to the side, slashing Aled through his neck, the runes of the sickle glowed before Aled yelled and his body disintegrated to ashes.

As that happened both Bak and Feinya attacked him, but before they could reach him Lars summoned chains, making them wrap around the two, immobilizing them before turning his attention to Mahendra who threw fire at him, dodging Lars threw chains at him, slashing through Mahendra, once they did his body turned to ashes.

Turning his attention to Bak and Feinya Lars was caught off guards as the two escaped the chains, Bak held unto Lars while Feinya delivered blow after blow after blow, turning to smoke Lars escaped Baks grip and slashed Feinya who turned to ashes leaving only Bak, who was not happy. Running over he caught Lars by surprise by sweeping him off of his feet and pinning him down.

Being brought back, not really alive meant that you were not as strong as you were once, yet despite this Bak proved to be a force to recond with as the two wrestled on the ground, trying to gain the upper hand. Finally able to maneuver himself Lars slammed the sharp blade against Baks chest making him grow tense.

He froze before slowly moving away from Lars who just watched as his body turned to dust. Laying down on the group for a bit Lars caught his breath before picking up his discarded glasses and putting them on just as 5 lights appeared. For a moment the lights took the forms of Bak, Feinya, Aled, Mahendra and Svetlana, when it did Lars grew tense as he feared they would fight again. But they did not, instead they gave a bow to Lars and said "Thank you",

"No problem" said Lars relieved before they vanished, when they did Lars eyes widen as in his mind he saw images... memories... it was at that point he turned and ran away, hoping he would get to the others, especially Hans on time.

* * *

People ran away as the safe houses as wind picked up and lightning crashed, from inside the now destroyed safe houses was Rohan. This at first would have made everybody happy, they were all so worried after they saw him vanish without a trace, but it did not as they saw what he had been turned into.

"Rohan, not you" said Hans while the rest grew pale with the realization of the truth, Hans and Elsa were not the doomed or betrayed lovers, it had been Sylvia all along and at the same time they questioned how could Sylvia had done this to the man who loved her the most?

Moving his hand Rohan unleased lightning, which would have hit Albert had Elsa not opened up her umbrella weapon and used that to deflect it.

"Thank you" said Albert as he realized how close he had been to death,

"You can thank me by getting the people to safety" said Elsa then yelped as lightning grazed her hand making her let go of the umbrella,

"Elsa!" yelled Hans as he was block back against a wall, his bones rattled as Rohan turned to him and began to give him the worst beating possible. Marius watched before taking out a walking cane, closing his eyes he pointed it and let a sharp water shot out and slam Rohan away.

Turning his attention to Marius Rohan spoke, his voice echoed as if he was speaking from a far away place "Marius! You hit me!",

"I cannot let you do this!" shouted Marius, still not looking at Rohan, he feared if he did he would not be able to stop him,

"I though you were my friend! We are brothers since we joined the fateweavers!" snarled Rohan,

"The Rohan I knew would have never done this! The brother I knew rather he would get hurt himself than let others be hurt!" shouted Marius, he gripped his cane, reminding himself over and over that this was not Rohan, the Rohan he knew was dead, this... this was a stranger... a dangerous one. All the while Hans got up and helped the others escape to safety before he and the others stood back, this was Marius battle.

"I have to do this!" shouted Rohan,

"You have to or are you forced?" questioned Marius, Rohan did not answer, he seemed to hesitated before he threw his hand, sending lightning towards Marius, who dodged and summoned water against Rohan, it hit him like a tidal wave and slammed Rohan against the rubble of the building, recovering he lifted himself, looking at Marius shocked.

Gripping his cane it took everything Marius had not to break down before crying out "I am sorry" before summoning more water, making it seep into the ground turning it to mud, said mud dragged Rohan under, he screamed and yelled, desperately trying to claw his way out before he was buried under the mud, soon there was nothing.

Collapsing to his knees Marius cried out as he gripped the ground where Rohan had been sucked into "I am sorry... I am so sorry...please... forgive me, forgive me my dear brother".

Saying nothing in sadness and shock Hans, Elsa and the others walked over to try and comfort Marius, reaching Hans was the first to try and hug Marius, but before he could touch him Marius latched unto him, crying about how sorry he was.

"Its okay, you did what you had to do" said Hans softly as he held Marius "He is not hurting any more",

"Hans!" they heard, turning they saw a panicked Lars run to the area, starring at the group he held out his sickle and growled "Get away from him",

"I beg your pardon?" said Merlin confused,

"Don't play dumb! I know everything!" snarled Lars before turning to Elsa and Hans and shouting "We have to get away from these people! They are not innocent at all!",

"Lars what are you talking about!?" asked Clara confused,

"Why don't you ask them!? Tell Hans the truth!" growled Lars,

"What has gotten into you!?" asked Agathe clearly confused,

"Oh want to play the amnesia card? Alright! I will refresh your memories" growled Lars "There was never any curse Hans! Its their fault why the Phoenixes are dead Hans!",

"Outragious! We would never-",

"Then explain that mark! That rune on Hans back! His sickness! I bet you don't know anything about how it got there hu?" said Lars accusingly,

"Rune? Mark? What is he talking about!?" demanded Hans,

"Its a rune to drain you when you get to strong! To control you because their afraid of you! Am I not right?" growled Lars,

"Please, let us explain" began Merlin,

"Its true-", the voice sent chills down Hans spine as he turned and looked at Agathe who looked in sorrow and said "I am sorry", that was more than enough to let Hans know that Lars was telling the truth.

"How could you?" whispered Hans,

"We... we did not know it would be like this, if we knew-",

"They did not, but I did".

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: It is very sad... we are soo close to the end...yet not quite... Up next the final battle will happen, what will be the end result? You have to wait and find out. Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter,**_ _ **please stay tuned for the next chapter and please leave a review to tell me what you think of this one.**_


	42. Chapter 42

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter as a huge battle will be happening, I also would like to thank Dreamsandimaginations for helping me out with the battle scene. So please give a big thanks to the author and leave a review when done reading the story, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

 _"Its a rune to drain you when you get to strong! To control you because their afraid of you! Am I not right?" growled Lars,_

 _"Please, let us explain" began Merlin,_

 _"Its true-", the voice sent chills down Hans spine as he turned and looked at Agathe who looked in sorrow and said "I am sorry", that was more than enough to let Hans know that Lars was telling the truth._

 _"How could you?" whispered Hans,_

 _"We... we did not know it would be like this, if we knew-",_

 _"They did not, but I did"._

* * *

There was stunted silence as everyone stared at Sylvia. It was Lars who recovered first from the shock. "You used me!"

"Not quite. You said you would kill Elsa in order to restore balance and protect your brother, yet you failed. All because you were too weak-hearted"

"Sylvia" This time, it was Hans who spoke. "You don't have to do this. Just.. explain it to us. This doesn't need to be a battle" if she wanted to hurt them, she would have done that without announcing her arrival.

"Why?"

Hans gasped when the rune intensified on his back and the prince staggered to keep himself upright.

You ask why?" said Sylvia then laughed "its very clear, you, all of you are not worthy to be Fateweavers" while Elsa and Lars kept Hans stable on his feet.

"And who's to decide that? You?" bit Merlin back. "None of us is above one another. That is the way it has been, and that how it stays."

"The world changes - so do our ways" said Sylvia. "Proclaim your loyalty to me, or die."

"You are deluded!" yelled Fauna.

"There is always a price - this will cause imbalance not only to us, but the whole world" said Flora this time.

"Don't worry. The world won't be harmed, dear Flora - the Fateweavers who stay at my side will remain. Those who do not, I will take their powers for myself, as they can't be trusted with" said Sylvia as she reached into her cloak and took out a box before throwing it to the ground open, black roots and branches swarmed out to grab everything they could get their hands on.

The Fateweavers all panicked as they knew the box contained the enchanted tree, a form of restraint for all magics, if trapped it would never let go.

"Elsa, stay back!" Hans pulled Elsa behind him, but when the queen wanted to pull herself loose, the prince sought his brother's eyes. "Lars-"

One look was all but needed - Lars released the grip on his brother and took Elsa instead. Before the queen could protest she was Shadowed into safety alongside Albert and Clara. "What- Lars!" Elsa tried to grab Hans, but only grabbed air. A scream of frustration escaped the queen's lips and she propelled herself forward with her ice before Clara could stop her. That box! Elsa flew to it, reaching to it, only for her to be slammed on the ground by a branch that wrapped itself around her foot. "AGH!"

"Elsa!"

"Hans, I'm here, I can-" began Elsa as she picked herself up, ready to try to reach them again.

"No. You get out of here now. Get the people out before Sylvia beats us. When she reaches the lair and destroys our thrones, the Underground kingdom will collapse on itself."

"Agathe can-"

"You. Will do this." commanded Hans. "There is no one I trust more."

"Hans, I can't leave you!"

"You can. I'll be fine, I'll be right behind you" lied Hans through his teeth with a confident smile.

Hesitantly Elsa took once more Lars' hand - another second later and Lars returned to his brother's side.

"You too, Lars."

"Lie to Elsa all you want, I know you better." said Lars. "I will not abandon you. Not ever again."

Seeing no way to persuade him, Hans sighed. "Fine."

"No..." whispered Elsa before she turned and faced them "Albert, Clara, I need you two to sound the alarm, say it to as many people as you can and get them out from the underground kingdom!"

"On it."

"Good! Now we move, for there is little time" said Elsa, with a nod Albert left to do as he was told but Clara stayed,

"You go too" ordered Lars as he held out his sickle and tried to cut through the roots to no avail,

"I am not going, you may be an idiot! But your my idiot and I am not going anywhere without you" said Clara, upon hearing that Lars got a little flustered and distracted,so much so he was almost hit by a root.

"Your emotions make me gag" said Sylvia rather bored as she stood back and watched, angry Elsa opened up her umbrella and shot ice at her making her dodge.

Picking herself up Sylvia growled "I almost forgot about you, fitting how this will end where it all began... with you"

* * *

There was pure panic and mayhem ran through the streets as everybody ran to escape the kingdom and the branches which had come alive and tried to grab them.

Running around Albert tried to keep control, but failed as people just ran around with what possessions they could carry, trampling over everybody. Finally having enough Albert put his fingers on his lips and gave a loud yet irritating whistle making everybody stop dead in their tracks.

"Listen up! don't panic! Help everybody out! Avoid the roots and make your way to the nearest exit in groups of 15!" yelled Albert as he went about now with a bit more control of the situation. A bit more calm and now that somebody was in charge the panic was reduced and the evacuation was made more smoothly.

As they did Albert prayed for the safety of the Fateweavers, Elsa and especially his brother.

* * *

While Elsa, Lars and the other Fateweavers fought Sylvia Hans had his hands against the roots, trying to burn them to ash. It was no use. They stayed as strong as ever and Hans let his hands slump down, completely spent by his magic. Even trying to produce a small flame now caused his muscles to scream in protest.

"Hans, stop, you're killing yourself." Agathe had to keep the prince from falling on the ground and dragged him out of the branches' reach.

"Well, its not like it will have any difference! That rune is going to kill me regardless - no thanks to you all." bit Hans to the woman he considered his mother. Upon seeing Agathe's hurt face, the prince cast his eyes down. "Agathe, I'm sorry. I shouldn't-" a coughing fit caused Hans to stop and blood began to splatter on his hand. "- have reacted that way."

"You're mad at us - and you have every right to be." said Marius this time, his voice soft and full of sorrow as it seems that he will be loosing another person he held dear. "Rohan.. Rohan could have still been alive if we hadn't kept your rune on." Marius glanced behind him and upon seeing that Flora, Merlin, Fauna and Lars needed extra help, the Fateweaver returned to join them into stopping Sylvia, leaving only Agathe with Hans.

"Can't you break it?" breathed Hans out as he held on to Agathe - he felt like a small child again as she cradled him to her chest.

"We can't - we all poured our magic into the rune - all of us would have to agree to remove it. But with Sylvia..." Agathe went quiet again.

"And if you were to carve it out?"

"It does not work that way." Agathe began to ruffle gently through his hair, all while her tears dripped down on his body. Suddenly, Agathe felt something odd. Hold on. His soulstone should be- "Hans, what are you doing?"

"I'm not going to lay here while you give your lives for us." shot Hans back as the soulstone began to burn brighter at his command in his hand.

"Hans, no its gonna kill you!" Agathe tried to prey the soulstone from his fingers, but hissed when the heat proved too much.

"I'm already dying." said Hans without looking at Agathe and instead held his focus upon the soulstone. Immediately Hans felt an excruciating pain flaring up at his back - the rune was fighting against the usage of his soulstone. Despite the pain, Hans held the soulstone upright and forced himself to continue to burn the roots to ash. Vaguely, the prince could hear a crack - and immediately after, he could feel a large cut going from his chest to his stomach. The soulstone was breaking now, faster as the cracks multiplied.

Upon realizing what Hans was doing, Lars Shadowed to his brother's side. "What the hell are you doing?!" barked Lars. "Stop this right now!"

"I always was the rebellious one in our family." When Lars too wanted to try and take the soulstone away, Hans blasted him away with hot air. "This is what I want, Lars. Consider your promise kept." said Hans as his veins began to glow red-orange. The soulstone was so very close to fracturing, and he could feel death breathing in his neck. With a final effort, the prince used whatever he had left.

 _Elsa, I love you. I'm so sorry._

As his eyesight began to vanish, the prince saw his life flash by - all the memories with his family, his friends...

It was worth dying for them.

He felt a ear-splintering CRACK - he was dead now. But instead of the cold grasp of death, Hans felt warmth spread throughout his entire body, so fast, so hot he couldn't contain it and he screamed out of pure shock.

Everyone, including Sylvia had to shield themselves from the blinding light.

Hans breathed heavily, bending over as he sucked in the air and looked at the grass. He was alive. He was still alive! Hans glanced to his soulstone, to see the cracks vanish and glow so bright it was nearly yellow-white. And once again the heat was back - the intensity was so much before, that Hans hadn't realized it was healing his wounds. No... the heat didn't come out of nowhere. It was him.

Hans felt his heartbeat increase upon the realization and at the same time, he felt his hands light up. He barely needed to THINK about it to sniff it out again. The magic hummed and it had never flowed so smoothly, never responded so easily.

"No! That can't be, you were not supposed to break it!"

Hans' head snapped back to Sylvia and narrowed his eyes. "It seems I have." He had but to gesture and all the roots became ash immediately.

"It doesn't matter. What is all the power in the world, when you are so weak hearted to save the ones you love?"

Hans' eyes lit up like coals when he saw Elsa being slammed against the wall - the strength by which it was done was so great, the building began to topple over. "NO!" Hans turned into his bird form and sped towards her, smashing through the falling rubble and envelopping Elsa under his wings.

"Hans NO!" Lars couldn't stop his brother from flying into the falling building and could only stare horrified at the toppling building - so did everyone else. "Agh!"

"Don't think I have forgotten about you, Lars" bit Sylvia as branches began to wrap themselves around Lars' neck.

"So much brotherly love... a shame truly."

* * *

Elsas eyes were closed shut, to afraid to open them as she was sure that she had died.  
But soon she felt warmth and... feathers. "Hans? O my... Hans, you're alright!" Elsa cried and hugged the bird.

"I'm more than alright" said Hans while transforming back into his human form. The prince wrapped his hands around her while Elsa did the same.

"You feel... different. Its a good different." Elsa commented as she felt his body temperature. It had never been that warm before. When she looked up, his eyes weren't green anymore but golden.

Hans didn't say anything as he gently rubbed her hand. "Likewise." commented Hans gently as he noted her blonde hair turning white. As on cue, their magic seemed to react.

"So much for brotherly love..."

Hans and Elsa's eyes shot towards Sylvia's voice. No. Not Lars. He would not loose another brother today. Anger flared up inside the prince and the building reduced to ashes in but a second. "Let him go and then I'll consider not to destroy you." bit Hans as he saw Sylvia suffocating Lars.

"How?!" she demanded angrily,

"The love we share, the one you claimed that makes us weak... makes us stronger" said Hans as he and Elsa looked at her defiantly.

Looking at that Lars cried out in relief, he was happy to see that Elsa and Hans were okay.

"Love is for the weak" said Sylvia,

"No its not! Love gives us a reason to fight and protect others! Without it our lives have no meaning!" said Elsa,

"I had enough of his!" yelled Sylvia before she attacked sending more vines.

Hans took out his sword and proceeded to hack the vine, which turned to ashes when he did while Elsa shot ice at the vines which iced and shattered freeing Lars.

Reacting the roots and vines all sped towards Hans and Elsa to trap them both, but Lars quickly acted and used his shadow abilities to teleport them to safety.

"Thanks!" Hans yelled then conjured up a ball of flame and threw it close to Elsa making her flinch but saw that a vine had tried to sneak up behind her and almost grabbed her.

"Thanks back" said Elsa as she threw more ice.

"Okay whats the plan?" asked Hans as they worked,

"Get the soulstone, the how is the tricky part" said Elsa as she threw ice.

"Hows about fish and bait?" suggested Lars as he appeared next to them then sent more shadows to restrain Sylvia,

"What?" asked Elsa,

"Brilliant!" said Hans before turning to Elsa, one look was all needed before she nodded.

The three split up in different directions, "Hold still you cowards!" yelled Sylvia then yelled as Hans threw fire at her, this fire was different, it not only burned but ate through her form.

She did not remember it being like that before.

Then yelled as Elsa threw shards of ice at her, trying to pin her down.

Screaming Sylvia attacked, her anger clouded her judgement.

Hanging back Lars saw this, acting quick he turned to a shadow, darted over as fast as possible, passing through vines, leaves and roots before reaching Sylvia, grabbing her soulstone and ripping it off.

"No!" She screamed before sending vines after Lars, knocking him aside, the soulstone went flying before it landed on the ground in front of Elsa's foot.

Sylvia screamed as she reached, Elsa immediately stomped on the soulstone, cracking it, lights of green shone as if the crystal was angry.

The vines and roots wilted as did the giant tree form before it collapsed making Sylvia fall out.

Staggering Sylvia marched over, but Elsa stomped on the soulstone again yelling "This is for Rohan!" The soulstone shattered further and Sylvia collapsed, her skin turning gray, her hair white and falling off, she was in pain but continued to drag herself over.

But Elsa stomped on it harder, breaking it further,

"I will kill you!" growled Sylvia, then with one final stomp the soulstone shattered to pieces, the power dispersed through the area and Sylvia screamed.

Her hands went to her chest as she began to rapidly decay and rot before collapsing into a heap of ashes.

Carefully Elsa, Hans and Lars walked over then sighted in relief.

Turning Hans said "Thank you... you did not have to",

"Thank Elsa, she deserves all the credit" said Lars,

"No, we all did it together" said Elsa softly before saying "Lets go home",

"Home sounds nice" said Hans as they turned to leave.

But as they did the shards of Sylvias soulstone turned black, moving they gathered and grew.

Sensing it Lars turned back and said "Oh no..." as a loud roar filled the area.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Thats not good... The battle is far from over... Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter.**_


	43. Chapter 43

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter as a the battle will be over. Please a review when done reading the story, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Fear ran through the streets as people made their way out of the underground kingdom with whatever they could carry.

"Hurry hurry, we must leave" said Albert as he went through the crowd making sure nobody was left behind and at the same time scouting for danger which was everywhere.

The roots wrapped around the buildings and streets, destroying it in the process.

Suddenly the roots just died down, Albert looked around confused as to what happened to cause that to happen.

When all of a sudden there was another loud tremor followed by the ground cracking and splitting open, almost swallowing some innocent civilians.

Terrified the people began to scream and run all the while Albert and Clara tried to control the crowds of panicking people all the while wondering what was going on and most of all worrying if Hans, Elsa and the others are okay.

"May the Lord be protecting you, all of you, so we may have a bright day in the end" that was Albert's prayer.

* * *

Fear rang through Elsa, Hans and Lars mind as they backed away from the twisted shadow demon as it grew and shaped.

Lars began to tremble, he had faced plenty of shadow demons, the worst scum of the earth, but this, this was a whole new level of evil, he even dared to say it was pure evil.

"Look at what you all done to me!" Sylvias voice was heard through the form.

"Now everybody will see you for what you are" said Hans coldly trying to keep his nerves as he gently pulled Elsa behind him. If it attacked it would attack him first giving Elsa the upper hand.

Sylvia chuckled, it sounded darker than imagined as she said "This will be a beautiful bedtime story, but how will it end?" she paused as if thinking before saying "I know, with all of you dying, the perfect starcrossed lovers story",

"Over my dead body" growled Lars as he stepped ahead, hand on his sickle, ready to attack.

She looked and said "We shall see" before slamming her shadow hand against Lars which such force it knocked his breath right out of his chest and made him drop hi sickle and chain before she grabbed him and dragged him out.

"Lars!" yelled Hans,

"Come on now! Lets see if so called true love can save the day!" Called Sylvia cockily as her form vanished along with Lars.

Not saying a word Hans ran, "Hans wait!" yelled Elsa as she started to run, only stopped to grab Lats discarded Sickle and chain before running after Hans.

It was a race against time, it became even more apparent as the Underground began to break apart on its own with the streets cracking, the tremors, the sky whose clouds began to swirl around dangerously and ominously.

* * *

Lars yelled and struggled as Sylvia kept a tight grip on him, he would have been able to escape had he not dropped his sickle when she hit him.

Sylvia payed no mind as she tightened her grip on him, her giant shadow form arrived to the palace in the Underground Kingdom, knocking it aside she made her way to the Fateweavers lair to destroy it.

All around the kingdom was destroyed as the balance was slowly destroyed because of her presence.

"Let go of me! Let go of me you witch!" yelled Lars as he kicked and struggled, trying to free himself,

"No" Sylvia simply said then looking out she smirked "Especially when the fun is about to begin".

* * *

Arriving Hans looked to find the palace destroyed while the form of shadow demon Sylvia made its way to the lair, so close was she, if she made it the Underground kingdom would be destroyed.

"Hans!" yelled Elsa as she caught up to him, grabbed his arm, stopping him as he was about to charge ahead.

"Elsa! What are you doing?! You need to go! Its not safe!" Said Hans when he saw she followed him, he did not wanted her to as things were about to get more dangerous.

"I am not leaving! Not without you or Lars!" said Elsa firmly,

"You can be in danger!",

"Then let me be, I am not a delicate flower that needs to be protected, let me help you" said Elsa angrily.

There was silence, Hans stared, it was clear that Elsa was not going to back down. The ground further cracked, time was running out faster than before.

"Okay..." said Hans after a while "What do you have in mind?".

* * *

Sylvia was half way there, she was sure that her goal would happen. Once she arrived at the lake where the entrance of the lair of the Fateweavers was hidden she will release her darkness unto the kingdom, destroying it.

As she was about 3 miles from it she stopped and yell as she felt a burst of hot flames.

Flying up in his Firebird form Hans dove down on Sylvia's left shadow arm. She screamed as he dove straight through, flames as hot as the sun ate through her shadow arm before he emerged on the other side, arm disappearing.

Growling in anger, pain and barely holding on Sylvia's anger grew as she held on, her arm grew back as shadows gathered.

"You bastard!" she screamed before reaching for Hans, trying to grab him.

But was unable to, he was too small and fast for her to grab.

He dodged, flew up and down, throwing ball of flames against her.

While that happened Elsa slowly made her way to Lars, using the trees and bushes as cover. Then using her ice magic she made the ground icy and skated over to Lars as fast and as quiet as she could. Spotting her Lars said

"El-",

"Shhh! Don't let her know" whispered Elsa as she arrived and began to help him get out of Sylvias grip.

Once out she gave Lars his sickle and chain back as they heard a cry.

Hans was grabbed by Sylvia who began to squeeze her grip, hurting him.

Panic gave way to anger and Elsa opened her umbrella and shot ice at Sylvia, she shrieked and let Hans go before turning her rage at Elsa.

"You!" She growled angry,

"Run!" yelled Hans as Sylvia reached to grab, acting quick Lars dodged but Elsa was grabbed, summoning an icicle Elsa used it to stab Sylvia's in an effort to get her to let go, but nothing helped.

"Say good bye" cooed Sylvia ready to crush Elsa.

Rage consumed Hans as he flew over, turning to his human form, he grabbed and dug his hands into the hand Sylvia was using to hold Elsa and began to use all the magic he had.

The fire grew and grew before it consumed Sylvia's hand from the inside out, she shrieked before she finally let go causing Elsa to plummet down.

She screamed as she fell, Hans dove after her, grabbing hold of her he pressed her against him before turning them both to smoke.

Gently it floated back before forming back on the ground and running to hide behind some trees where it was safer than out in the open.

Elsa sighted in relief, as did Hans before he looked over her terrified of her being hurt.

"You okay? Are you hurt?" asked Hans worried,

"I am fine... I am okay" said Elsa as Lars ran over, then sighting in relief seeing the two okay.

But that was short lived as the shadow Sylvia began to tear the forest apart, looking for them in anger,

"You... you... you bastard! Where are you!? This is all your fault!" growled Sylvia as she looked,

"You killed my friend" growled silently Hans angry as he remembered Rohan,

"Come on out! You cowards! Face your fate!" she yelled, Lars looked down at his sickle and concentrated, it began to glow, the chain move and multiply then all of a sudden the chains sprung to life and flew over to Sylvia, wrapping and coiling around her, restraining, as it did she screamed as the chains began to glow purple, burning her as they tightened their hold on her.

"No! I will not be defeated!" yelled Sylvia as she struggled, getting her arm free she grabbed and began to tug on it, it was her against Lars.

Lars yelled as he struggled to hold unto the chains and sickle, the chains began to grow brittle as his magic was reaching its limit, she was just far too strong for him to destroy or wrangle into submission.

As the chains slowly was breaking, Lars bit his lips as he felt pain as unlike the other fateweavers his soulstone was his own weapon the sickle and chain, if it broke he would surely die.

"I told you! Your not match for me!" snarled Sylvia as struggled and pulled, the chains began to break against her brute force.

Growling Hans fired up and grabbed the chain, pulling and transferring his magic unto the chains to help Lars. Elsa did the same, between the three the chains grew strong, began to glow black, red and blue as the magic was transferred.

Sylvia screamed in pain as she felt the power consumed her and hurt her. The chains tightened and tightened the magic bore into Sylvia as her body began to break apart.

"No" she cried out before the chains tightened once more, her form exploded, breaking into a thousand pieces as the force of it pushed Elsa, Lars and Hans back, blinding them a bit.

As their sight returned, blinking they stared as there was nothing left of Sylvia... not even ashes.

Getting up they walked over to where she once stood, there was silence before Lars voiced out what everybody though "She is gone", the disbelief passed and they all laughed, relieved that Sylvia had been defeated

Gathering the chains Lars turned and said "Thank you... but... why? We both could have died... yet you saved me... both of you",

"Lars... you made mistakes..." said Hans then turning Elsa gave him the look so sighting he said "I learned a lot, had probably the best example of a sibling and I learned that even though we hurt one another, we are still brothers and... that will not change". Lars looked puzzled as to why Hans was saying that.

Then ever so reluctantly Hans opened his arms and said "So...I guess we can...hug it out? maybe?" only to grow tense when Lars went and hugged him.

"Thank you... thank you" whispered Lars crying, all the anger Hans had been bottling up left before he hugged Lars back.

True he had distanced himself from Lars, hesitated when he found out the truth, but in the end he still missed his brother Lars and deep inside he never stopped longing for his brothers love.

Elsa smiled at that, glad the two brothers finally made up.

Only for a tremor to interrupt the moment. The cracks grew and lightning crashed, the Underground kingdom was close to collapsing on itself.

"Oh no... were too late" said Lars as he back away, Elsa grabbed Hans hand and began to tug him to leave.

But he grew tense as he did not move, he looked down at his hands.

"Whats wrong?" asked Elsa,

"I can stop this..." said Hans in a whisper "I can fix this!"

The two looked shocked and confused, he just gave them a reassuring smile.

Taking out his soulstone he held it up, it began to glow brighter and brighter, flames, golden of color began to consume his body before moving and seeping into the ground, at first it did not work.

But soon the ground began to put itself back together, the tremors stopped, whatever the flames touched healed and rose, soon the sky brightened as the healing and restoring was complete.

It was left as if nothing happened.

Collapsing to the ground Hans was exhausted from the exertion, breathing harshly.

"Hans!" said Elsa and she and Lars went to his side, turning him to he was facing them.

"See... told you" he said between breaths,

"You idiot! You could have died!" yelled Elsa,

"But I did not" he said cheekily, Elsa would have not been happy but she let it slide as she brought him to a kiss.

Which he returned before whispering "I love you",

"I love you too".

Lars cleared his throat before the three helped one another to get back down to the ground with the hopes of reuniting with loved ones.

* * *

The land was restored, reborn, it was as if Sylvia had never even been there. Making their way back people cheered and celebrate as they returned to their homes, happy to be back.

"Lars!" Lars heard, he winced as he was sure he was going to get hit by Clara, but much to his shock she said "You idiot! I don't know whether to kill you or kiss you", before he could respond she tackled hugged and began to kiss him, leaving him speechless.

Both Elsa and Hans snickered at that before their attention turned to the Fateweavers walked over, quiet, Hans looked then told Elsa "Wait for me in Arendelle... there is something I have to do", Elsa wanted to refuse, but nodded, this was his choice and it was something he needed to do on his own.

Turning she made her way back while she did she looked back to see Hans and the Fateweavers make their way to the lair.

* * *

Arriving back to Arendelle the first thing Elsa did was to hug Anna her sister, this surprised Anna as usually it was her who hugged Elsa, not the other way around, yet it was a welcomed change.

Sitting down they talked, what happened and other things, just being open and honest, it was all good...

Soon they heard the door open, looking they saw Hans enter and walk over, he was quiet and serious, sitting down he said "Its over, they won't bother us again",

"What?" asked Elsa confused,

"I will not be associating with them for awhile" said Hans then sighted "I thank you both, you taught me forgiveness, but I cannot fully forgive what they did, not yet, especially after what happened and what I know now of the Phoenix of the past", reaching both Elsa and Anna took his hands.

"Were sorry about Rohan" said Elsa,

"Yes, I may have not known him as well as you, but he was a good person" said Anna softly,

"Its alright, the only comfort I have is that I was able to find Rohans body, burn it and give him reincarnation... hopefully the next time he will have a better life, get the love that was denied to him" said Hans softly then nodded "He wanted me to be happy... so I will... I will not only do that, but also continue to do what is right, even if its hard".

Nodding the three hugged, yes this would be a new beginning, sure it was not exactly the ending they though it would be, which would have been everything resolved and happy, Hans fully forgiving both Lars and the other Fateweavers, but maybe in time, they would get there, for they did have all the time and peace in the world now.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: The battle is over, but there is one more chapter, sad to see the story end, but that's the thing about stories, they have to end at some point even if we don't want to. Any way**_ _ **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter.**_


	44. Chapter 44

_**Authors note: I guess I should have explained, there was a reason why the ending was how it was.  
**_

 _ **Hans could not just leave his responsibilities as Phoenix till fate dictated it, if he left too soon then his children even the world would be doomed to suffer disasters and worse (This was what happened when the past phoenixes died... yes they were killed off.. but regardless the consequences were the same). Because of this Hans did not give up or ended his life sooner, if he could he would have to be with Elsa, his children and friends, but he could not.**_

 _ **I also did that ending cause I wanted to leave it as an open ending, but I guess it did not end well... hopefully the changes in this ending will make up for it and such, plus again explain why.**_

* * *

 _Laughs and giggles were heard, walking through the garden Hans and Elsa held hands as they enjoyed the spring day. But it was hard to enjoy it, especially with what Hans had to say._

 _"But why? Why not let another take your place?" asked Elsa quite upset, in her opinion it was not fair, being the phoenix had been good for Hans yet the bad seemed to outnumber it as in her mind there was nothing more worse than outliving your loved ones._

 _"I wish it was that easy" said Hans sadly "But Fate is the one who dictates who will be the next phoenix, when the last one was killed it took over 100 years before I was chosen and during that time disasters happened" pausing he shook his head "I want to more than anything, but I cannot do it, not while knowing that others, especially my loved ones will pay the price for my doing"._

 _Frowning Elsa took his hand and said "Its okay, till the time comes when a new one is chosen, I will be by your side how many lives it takes, I will not leave you alone",_

 _"You don't have to" said Hans softly,_

 _"But I want to..." said Elsa then added "I love you and I will not leave you to face these trials on your own",_

 _"Your too good to me" said Hans softly, Elsa smiled and kissed him close, he held her as they deepened the kiss only to be interrupted by the sound of their children screaming "Mother, Father! Look what we found!"._

 _Saying nothing they looked as soon a little girl and boy came running in, the girls pigtails bouncing, both her and her brother were all muddy from the clothes to the cheeks on their faces as if they had been playing in the mud._

 _Looking the two sighted at them, their eldest son Rosenrod and their daughter Sophia, their wonderful son and cute yet rather cheeky and naughty little girl, arriving Sophia jumped exited and said "Guess what I found, guess what we found",_

 _"Sophia, Rosenrod what did we say about-",_

 _"Come on guess" insisted Rosenrod, Elsa gave Hans a look, this one said "That is your side of the family", giving in Hans said "What is it?", pouting Sophia said "Your no fun" then smirked and said "Okay, here" with that she held up something, it was old cloth, decaying and muddy, yet it was recognizable for Elsa and Hans._

 _"We found it buried on the ground, looks like a glove" said Rosenrod then Sophia added confused "I wonder how it got buried underground though"._

 _Elsa turned and looked at Hans who said "What? I did said that I buried them", she continued to give him that look so he continued "In my defense I had to make sure you would not try to get them back",_

 _"What are you talking about?" asked Sophia confused, smiling Elsa turned to her daughter and son, patted their heads and said "I think your father has some explaining to do" with that she turned and left._

 _Hans was going to complain but she had already left leaving him alone to explain to Sophia and Rosenrod how the gloves got there, rubbing the back of his neck he though "This will be the most interesting how I met your mother stories they will ever hear... but I better leave out some details"_

* * *

Ring, ring, that was what broke Hans from his memories. Blinking Hans looked around and frowned, he was no longer in Arendelle, with his wife and children... it was no longer the 1800's, no... he was in the 2000's.

How times changed, Hans had seen it all, the wars, the technology, everything was just so different that his time, his past sometimes seemed nothing more than a dream.

Sighting he rubbed his hand on the side of his face as he waited for his coffee in Starbucks.

He missed his side burns, but unfortunately they fell out of fashion and the last time he had them people stared at him as if he had grown three extra heads, so sadly he had to shave them off.

"Black coffee extra sugar for Johan!" called the barista.

Nodding Hans took his coffee and proceeded to leave. As he did he felt his phone vibrated.

Iphone... latest must have gadget in this time...

"Now I am starting to sound like an old person rambeling" though Hans shaking his head.

"Because you are old even if you do not look it" said his reasoning.

Taking out his phone he looked at it, it was a text message from his godchild William... yes... Prince William...

"Wanna talk about it?" he texted.

Hans sighted he looked at that message, the memory flowed back in his head. His wife Elsa, his children, Anna, Kristoff... Part of the burden was that he outlived everybody, he watched his friends die, his love die, his children, everybody... the only comfort he had was what he would see them again at some point, but that though just provided a small comfort when he has yet to see them again. He closed his eyes trying not to cry as he text back "I rather not",

"You sure? Me, Harry and Lars are worried" texted William,

"I am sure" Hans texted back "Tell Lars I will see him next week"

Suddenly there was a loud noise startling Hans, almost making him drop the phone as a car almost slammed into him. Reacting mentally Hans turned to smoke and back away, forming a foot or so away from the car.

The driver and he stared at one another, she was silvery blond, blue eyes open in shock and fear, she almost looked like...

"What were you doing?! Stupid head!" yelled the driver who had snapped from her shock and fear, got out from the car and marched over, proceeding to yell at him. Hans knew she was not really angry, this was her reaction when she was scared or panicking.

"Hey! I am talking to you!" yelled the driver as Hans continued to stare, getting a little worried she asked "Sir" as she reached then jumped when he grabbed her hand making her scream for a moment.

Taking his glove off he touch it, his eyes widen, it was her... Elsa...

"Elsa?",

"Uhh... Elsie actually" said "Elsa" as she back away,

"I am sorry, I will be more careful" promised Hans as he let go, nodding Elsa/Elsie walked away, got on her car and left. Hans watched her go and smiled as he though "This time I won't be making the same mistakes" before taking out his phone texting then leaving.

* * *

 _ **Many years later:**_

Wind roared outside as snowflakes danced through the snow white environment of Norway, bundling up a bronze tone 27 year old woman turned and walked inside the viking style cottage. Walking to the kitchen she took and washed two dishes, it was just her and her father now ever since his wife, her mother, passed away years ago.

In truth, they were not her parents, she had been adopted by them when she was 5 years old, a 5 year old who had many walls up because of the environment she was exposed to in the foster system. Despise them not sharing blood, they were her parents, they never gave up on her on her worst, they were there for her in goods and bad's, made sure she had all the help she needed, education, clothes on her back and all the love a child could ever want and need. Because of that they more than earned the right to call themselves her parents.

Finishing she set the dishes on the drying rack before going to the living room, peeking in she saw her father, the almost 70 year old was sleeping on the chair, he has been sleeping a lot the pass few days.

Frowning she walked over and touched his hand making him jump up wide awake, seeing her he groaned as he placed his hand on his chest and said "You really want to kill me don't you Selene?",

"Cinder father" said Selene "Cinder" as she moved and sat next to him,

"I am not going to call you something that is not your name" he said,

"Then I will call you Hans" said Selene cheekily, only to yell when he reached and slapped the back of her head, of course it was a soft pat, but it was annoying, "Why do you always do this?",

"I would stop if you learned to respect your elders" said Hans then added "Did I not taught you that?",

"Yes" said Selene snickered before she sighted and silence settled.

Time passed and she saw him dozing off again, this time she felt alarm bells ringing in her head, taking his hand she shook it making him wake up startled again.

"Wha?", Selene bit her lip and asked "Is it time?", he stared then looked away,

"Answer me Father" demanded Selene a bit more alarmed,

"I am tired Selene" said Hans sighting, this was all she needed to know before she stood up and said "NO! You can't go! Not now!",

"If not now then when?" asked Hans,

"Not now! I need you! I am not ready to be the Phoenix on my own! I, I just can't!" said Selene upset and scared, she was not ready! She needed more time, more training! He could not just leave her!,

"Yes you can, your more than ready" said Hans softly "You were taught everything that you need to know".

Selene said nothing more, she looked down at her glove covered hands, they were Elsie, well Elsas glove, her mother. She knew it was selfish of her to ask more time, he had already been years, ages in truth, away from his friends and family, it was well overdue that he go to be with them. But she could not help it, he was one of the greatest phoenix, how could she measure up to what he accomplished? Yes she had the advantage he did not have of being raised and trained by his predecessor. But that in her mind changed nothing.

"How will I manage without you?" asked Selene,

"You will be better than me" promised Hans, Selene nodded, she understood, he would not go if she did not let him, fate was not stopping him, she was. SO with a heavy heart Selene forced a smile and she said "Lilly, lullu, lulo, I let you go, I let you go",

"Thank you" said Hans softly, nodding Selene got up and hugged him, he hugged her back, kissing the side of her head. They held each other there for what seemed like forever. Snoring softly Selene had fallen asleep. Turning to the side Hans looked to the window as the snowflakes continued to fall, the sun set and night came as it did a light shone through the window.

It confused Hans as he and Selene lived in had huge acres of private land and he was not expecting visitors, carefully Hans got up with the help of his cane and not waking Selene up, carefully he made his way outside, opening the door he looked outside to almost fall to his knees.

Outside waiting was Elsa, just as he remembered ages ago.

"Elsa" he was barely able to croak out as he could not believe what he was seeing, she smiled and said "Yes I am here", walking over he said "Its been so long..I...I am sorry... I wanted to-",

"I am glad you did not" said Elsa softly "You always were careful about choices, putting me and our family first",

"I,I just did not wanted our children, everybody to suffer" said Hans softly "If I had joined you the first and second time I would have brought disaster, I just did not wanted that",

"I know and I am proud" said Elsa softly,

"I miss you... never once I stopped thinking about you... our children...Lars... everybody" said Hans softly,

"Now you won't have to, not anymore" said Elsa as she held out her hand "Come on, everybody is waiting", smiling Hans took her hand, before he hugged her, they held each other and shared a kiss which they both had missed so much before they walk away together.

The next day Selene woke up and found herself alone, she did not ask for she knew Hans had gone to be with his family and friends. She wanted to be sad, but could not as she knew he deserved it, he could not be with them when he should have because of Fate and the disasters that would happen if he abandoned his responsibilities too soon, so now that he was able to go and be reunited with his family and loved ones, she could not help but be happy for him. Sitting up she walked outside, for the next few minute she just stood there, admiring the sun rising before smiling. Pulling the hood of her hoodie over her head she changed to her phoenix form before flying off.

He always told her to be better, so she will be better so the phoenixes who come after her will not have to suffer what her mentor and father did.

 _ **The end...**_


End file.
